New Orleans's Privacy & Surveillance: The Rules That Matter
Every city handles privacy & surveillance a little differently. In New Orleans, Louisiana, there are 2 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.
License Plate Readers
New Orleans names automatic license plate readers as regulated surveillance technology in Chapter 147 but does not ban them outright the way it bans face surveillance. Instead, ALPR use is bound by the chapter's data-protection duties: a citywide ban on collecting immigration-status data and restrictions on sharing city surveillance data with outside entities.
Key details: ALPR status: Named surveillance tech, not prohibited. Immigration-status data: Collection banned (Sec. 147-3(a)). Outside data-sharing deals: Require public notice + comment. Compliance officer: Data protection officer per department. Employee violation penalty: Retraining up to termination.
Sec. 147-5 makes a city employee's violation of the chapter grounds for consequences up to retraining, suspension or termination, subject to due process, and bars any information obtained in violation of the chapter from being used in any city adjudicative proceeding.
Facial Recognition Ban
New Orleans prohibits city officials from obtaining, retaining or using any face surveillance system, with a narrow carve-out letting NOPD request facial recognition only when investigating a specific list of violent felonies under a warrant-like approval process. Evidence from facial recognition alone can never establish probable cause for an arrest.
Key details: Default rule: Face surveillance systems banned. NOPD exception: Enumerated violent felonies only. Probable cause: Facial-recognition match alone: insufficient. Effective date: January 1, 2021 (147-7). Reporting: Quarterly report to Council Criminal Justice Cmte..
Sec. 147-5(a) makes an employee's violation of the chapter grounds for retraining, suspension or termination, subject to due process, and Sec. 147-5(b) bars any information obtained in violation of the chapter from being used in any city adjudicative proceeding. Sec. 147-2(f) independently voids facial-recognition-only evidence as a basis for probable cause, meaning an arrest built solely on a facial-recognition match is not legally supportable under the ordinance.
Compared to other cities, New Orleans takes a harder line on facial recognition ban. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
The Bottom Line
New Orleans's privacy & surveillance rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming New Orleans is broadly strict or permissive.
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.