Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in Shreveport, LA

If you live in Shreveport or are thinking about moving there, sidewalk & pedestrian rules are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Shreveport has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of sidewalk & pedestrian rules, and some of them might surprise you.

Encroachment Permits

Anyone wanting to build, place or extend something over, under or into a Shreveport street, alley, sidewalk or public right-of-way needs an encroachment permit, authorized by city council ordinance and signed by the mayor. The city engineer sets the application rules, and the permit carries a one-time $50.00 fee on top of a separate $1,500.00 processing fee.

Key details: Approval: City council ordinance, signed by mayor. Processing fee: $1,500 application processing fee. Permit fee: $50 one-time encroachment permit fee. Exemption: City, parish, state, federal agencies fee-exempt. Standard: Must not adversely affect public interest.

There's no per-section penalty listed for encroaching without a permit, so an unauthorized structure, protrusion or use of the public right-of-way falls back on the general penalty in section 1-14: a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, with each day the encroachment continues counted as a separate offense. The city can also refuse to authorize the encroachment by ordinance at all if the city council or city engineer finds it adversely affects the public interest, since section 78-122 conditions the permit on that finding.

Compared to other cities, Shreveport takes a harder line on encroachment permits. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Obstruction Rules

Shreveport bans two specific ways of blocking or defacing its sidewalks: painting, chalking or imprinting any letter, word, sign or picture on a sidewalk, and leaving a keg, barrel, box or other movable property sitting on a sidewalk or alley. Both are flat prohibitions under chapter 78's sidewalks article, with no permit exception for either.

Key details: Marking ban: No chalking, painting sidewalk surfaces. Storage ban: No kegs, barrels, boxes on sidewalks. Solicitation ban: No accosting passersby to solicit trade. Penalty: Up to $1,000 fine, 60 days jail. Related permit: § 78-139 permit for lawful sidewalk use.

None of sections 78-140, 78-141 or 78-142 states its own fine, so a violation defaults to the general penalty in section 1-14: a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, and each day an obstruction like a stored keg or unlawful marking remains in place counts as a separate offense. Code enforcement and police can cite a business or individual for leaving movable property on a sidewalk or alley, or for chalking or painting a sidewalk surface, without any prior warning requirement in the ordinance itself.

The Bottom Line

Shreveport's sidewalk & pedestrian rules 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 Shreveport is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Shreveport'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.