Noise from Specific Sources in Jefferson Parish, LA (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Jefferson Parish, Louisiana.
Verified from official government sources
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Jefferson Parish zoning sets exact placement rules for air conditioning units, generators and other mechanical equipment on single- and two- to four-family lots. The equipment cannot sit in the front yard at all, needs specific side-yard clearances from the property line, and roof-mounted units are capped by the base district's height limit.
Where You Can Place HVAC Units in Jefferson Parish
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code § 33-6.9.2.2(a)-(b)
(a)Setback requirements. Generators, pool equipment, air conditioning units, and other types of mechanical equipment:(1)Front yard. Shall not be located in the required front yard.(2)Side yard. May be located in the required side yard, provided that:a.Generators shall be set back at least five (5) feet from any side property line. For corner lots, generators shall be located at least five (5) f...
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Bars, nightclubs and holding bars inside the Fat City Mixed-Use district (FC-1, FC-2, FC-3) near Metairie's Lakeside Shopping Center must soundproof so noise never exceeds 60 decibels measured at the property line after 10:00 p.m. The Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office (JPSO) checks compliance with three A-scale meter readings taken thirty seconds apart, and the parish's building permits department signs off on the soundproofing method before a nonconforming bar can keep operating.
Bar Noise Limit in Jefferson Parish's Fat City District
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances Sec. 33-3.53.4.5(g)
(g)Soundproofing.(1)The owner or operator of a nonconforming stand-alone bar or an accessory bar or holding bar shall install soundproofing so that sound from the bar does not exceed sixty (60) dba measured at the property line after 10:00 p.m.(2)The department of building permits shall approve soundproofing methods.(3)JPSO shall take a minimum of three (3) readings at thirty (30) second interv...
Car Alarm Limits
Jefferson Parish's noise code treats a car alarm as an "alarm" under Sec. 20-102(b), and bars intentionally sounding one between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. except in a real emergency. Testing any alarm, including a vehicle alarm, for more than sixty seconds is a violation at any hour, and a full system test is capped at once a month and fifteen minutes.
Jefferson Parish Alarm and Car Alarm Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(b), (h)(8)
Alarm means any fire, burglary, motor vehicle or civil defense alarm, whistle or similar stationary emergency signaling device...(8)Emergency signaling devices:a.Except in cases of an emergency, the intentional sounding of any alarm between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.b.The testing of any alarm for a period in excess of sixty (60) seconds at any time.c.The testing of a complete emergen...
Generator Noise
Jefferson Parish exempts generator noise from its normal decibel table under Sec. 20-102(g)(9) whenever the generator runs during a power outage in the area, or for routine testing and maintenance between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Testing or maintenance noise outside that window is not exempt and must meet the ordinary Table 1 sound limits for the zone.
Jefferson Parish Generator Noise Exemption Hours
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(g)(9)
Any noise resulting from the use of a generator(s) while there is a power outage in the area or resulting from routine testing or maintenance of the generator(s) conducted between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Delivery Truck Noise
Jefferson Parish bars loading or unloading a delivery truck between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. within 300 feet of a residential unit, noise-sensitive area or public space, if the noise there exceeds the Table 1 sound limit for the zone. Running a truck's refrigeration unit within 300 feet of a home during those same hours is barred outright.
Jefferson Parish Delivery Truck Noise Curfew
Some RestrictionsJefferson Parish Code of Ordinances § 20-102(j)
Truck deliveries; loading and unloading. It shall be unlawful to load or unload a delivery truck between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. within three hundred (300) feet of a residential unit, noise-sensitive area, or public space if the sound level limit at the boundary of these areas exceeds the sound level limit set forth in Table 1 of section 20-102(f). It shall also be unlawful to ope...
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