New Orleans's Parking Rules: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles parking rules a little differently. In New Orleans, Louisiana, there are 6 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Street Parking Limits

New Orleans bans stopping or parking in eighteen specific locations without any sign required: within three feet of a driveway curb return, 15 feet of a fire hydrant, on a crosswalk, within 20 feet of an intersection, and in bicycle lanes among them.

Key details: Driveway clearance: 3 ft from curb return. Fire hydrant clearance: 15 ft. Crosswalk/intersection clearance: 20 ft. Railroad crossing clearance: 50 ft. Standard fine: $40 / $80 / $160.

Most § 154-923 violations carry a $40.00 initial fine, $80.00 if unpaid after 30 days, and $160.00 after 60 days, under § 154-699 category (2). Parking in a bicycle lane, subsection (17), is penalized more heavily at $300.00 initially and $500.00 after 30 or 60 days. Unoccupied vehicles with three or more unpaid citations may be immobilized or towed under § 154-777.

Loading Zones

New Orleans caps how long vehicles may sit in a signed loading, freight-only, or freight zone: delivery vehicles get 45 minutes, taxicabs hauling merchandise get 25 minutes, and any vehicle not actively loading or unloading must move on or risk a citation.

Key details: Delivery vehicle limit: 45 minutes. Taxicab (freight) limit: 25 minutes. Fine: $30 / $60 / $90 (30/60 days). Musician permit duration: 1 hr before/after show, 15 min cap. Permits per business: 2, non-transferable.

A § 154-868 violation falls into fine category (1) of the city's parking schedule under § 154-699: $30.00 for the initial citation, rising to $60.00 if unpaid after 30 days and $90.00 after 60 days. An unoccupied vehicle carrying three or more delinquent, unpaid citations under this section may be immobilized, towed, and impounded by police or another duly authorized officer under § 154-777.

Towing & Impound Rights

New Orleans can immobilize, tow and impound any unoccupied vehicle carrying an unpaid delinquent parking citation, and the pound releases it only to the registered owner or an authorized agent who pays every fine plus the towing, boot and storage charges or posts a cash bond. Section 66-110 adds a second door: pay the tow and storage bill, or post a bond for double it, and take the vehicle back at any stage of the proceedings.

Key details: Impound trigger: Three or more adjudicated parking citations with unpaid fees (Sec. 154-778(a)), or one recorded unpaid delinquent citation (Sec. 154-777(a)). Boot not returned: $25.00 per day, up to a $500.00 maximum, after one business day. Redemption bond: Double the towing fee and storage charges (Sec. 66-110). Expedited hearing: Within three business days of a written request. Probable cause hearing: Within 72 hours of the request, legal holidays excluded (Sec. 66-109).

Sec. 66-115 makes it unlawful to remove or attempt to remove a vehicle from any city-designated storage facility until the towing and impoundment fees due, or a bond in their place, have been paid. Sec. 154-779 and Sec. 154-780 make it an offense to release, deface, tamper with, break or remove an immobilization device, or to move a vehicle that still has one attached, with the authorized self-release under Sec. 154-778 the only exception. Running the other way, Sec. 154-705 and Sec. 154-781 waive every fine and fee where the towing or immobilization followed armed robbery, carjacking under R.S. 14:64.2, theft of a motor vehicle under R.S. 14:67.26 or the other listed offenses, so long as the person seeking the waiver shows the crime was timely reported to the New Orleans Police Department. The perpetrator or alleged perpetrator of one of those crimes gets no abatement.

Commercial & Oversized Vehicles

New Orleans bans parking or storing trucks, semitrailers, buses, tow trucks, dump trucks, and similar large commercial vehicles in every RD, RM, and RS residential district, in B-1, B-1A, and B-2 neighborhood business districts, in the Vieux Carré, and on St. Charles Avenue.

Key details: Banned vehicles: Trucks, semitrailers, buses, tow/dump trucks. Banned districts: RD/RM/RS; B-1/B-1A/B-2; Vieux Carré; St. Charles Ave.. Unattended limit elsewhere: 2 hours. Fine: Flat $500 (no early-pay discount). Tow trigger: 3+ unpaid citations.

Section 154-925 carries a flat $500.00 fine at every stage, initial citation, 30 days, and 60 days, under fine category (5) of § 154-699, with no discount for early payment, unlike most other parking violations in the code. Under §§ 154-777 and 154-925(f)(5), any listed vehicle accumulating three or more recorded, unpaid citations is subject to immediate immobilization or towing and impoundment.

This is one of the stricter rules in New Orleans's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

EV Charging

New Orleans Code § 146-562 requires an operating permit before installing an EV charger in the public right-of-way, limited to homes without off-street parking. Section 146-563 restricts the charger to private, non-commercial use with no fees collected.

Key details: Governing sections: City Code §§ 146-562, 146-563. Eligible applicants: Dwellings without compliant off-street parking. Chargers allowed per property: One. Prohibited zone: Vieux Carré (French Quarter). Fire hydrant clearance: 15 feet minimum.

Violations may draw revocation or suspension of the operating permit, daily fines, property liens, and even discontinuance of electrical service under § 146-573. The director of Safety and Permits may deny an application outright for locations that cannot meet the standards, and following revocation no new charger permit may issue at that location for two years, per § 146-574.

This is one of the stricter rules in New Orleans's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Abandoned Vehicles

New Orleans defines an "abandoned vehicle" under City Code § 66-102 as one illegally parked, left inoperable and unattended on public property for more than three days, left on private property without the owner's consent for more than 24 hours if inoperable (three days otherwise), or left on city property for more than three days. Section 66-103 makes abandonment unlawful and authorizes the police department to order removal.

Key details: Abandoned threshold (public/city property): more than 3 days. Abandoned threshold (private, no consent): 24 hrs if inoperable, else 3 days. Illegally parked vehicle: qualifies immediately. Notice before towing: 48 hours (§66-105). No-notice towing: traffic obstruction or safety hazard.

Leaving a vehicle abandoned under §66-102's definition is unlawful under §66-103(a); the police department, or a tow operator acting on its behalf, may remove it after posting 48-hour notice, or immediately without notice if it obstructs traffic or poses a safety hazard under §66-106. An owner can redeem a towed vehicle by paying towing and storage fees or posting a bond for double that amount, and may request a probable-cause hearing that must be held within 72 hours.

The Bottom Line

New Orleans is tougher than many cities when it comes to parking rules. Out of the 6 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in New Orleans, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

All of the above reflects New Orleans's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.