Bossier Parish, LA Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)
FEMA flood zone rules in Bossier Parish, LA, also called floodplain regulations or special flood hazard area (SFHA) rules, determine flood insurance requirements and elevation standards for new construction.
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Before any permanent construction in flood hazard areas
- Fee collected by
- Bossier Parish Tax Assessor's office
- Permit expires
- 6 months if construction not started
- Penalty
- $250 plus $10/day noncompliance
- Fee-exempt
- State, parish, municipal, and church projects
Summary
In unincorporated Bossier Parish, any permanent construction inside a special flood hazard area needs a floodplain development permit before footings, a slab, piers, or drill shafts go in, under Code § 54-53. The Bossier Parish Tax Assessor's office collects the permit fee when the application is filed.
A floodplain development permit shall be required to ensure conformance with the provisions of this article. ... (a)A development permit must be obtained prior to the commencement of any permanent construction, i.e., footings, slab, piers, drill shafts, etc. Applicable permit fee is to be paid at the office of the Bossier Parish Tax Assessor upon application for development or building permit, in accordance with Bossier Parish Ordinance No. 4202 of January 2, 2008. ... (f)Penalty. Failure to comply with the provisions of this section will result in imposition of a fine in the initial amount of $250.00, plus $10.00 per day for each day of noncompliance thereafter for each violation.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 54's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance applies to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of the Bossier Parish Police Jury (§ 54-51). Those areas are the ones FEMA mapped in the Flood Insurance Study for Bossier Parish dated March 19, 2013, and the accompanying panels, with the Red River Advisory Base Flood Elevation Map (dated January 4, 2016) superseding those FIRM panels where it applies (§ 54-52). Under § 54-53, a floodplain development permit is required before any permanent construction begins, meaning before footings, a slab, piers, or drill shafts are placed; the applicable permit fee is paid at the office of the Bossier Parish Tax Assessor when the applicant applies for the development or building permit, under Ordinance No.
4202 of January 2, 2008. State, parochial, and municipal government projects and church facilities still need the permit but are exempt from the fee. The permit must be displayed at the job site during construction, and after completion a registered architect or engineer must certify the lowest floor elevation of any structure built in flood zones A, AO, AE, AH, AR, A1-30, or B to the parish's permit office. A permit expires within six months of issuance if construction has not begun, and the fee is not refunded when that happens.
Violations & Fines
Failing to comply with § 54-53 carries a fine starting at $250.00, plus $10.00 for every additional day the noncompliance continues, assessed per violation. Building without the required permit, skipping the post-construction elevation certification, or letting a permit lapse and continuing work anyway all trigger the escalating daily fine under § 54-53(f).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to build in a Bossier Parish flood zone?
Where do I pay the floodplain permit fee?
What happens if my floodplain permit expires?
What is the penalty for building without this permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bossier Parish
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