Lake Charles, LA Fence Regulations: Material Restrictions (2026)

Sec. 6-1 defines barbed wire as 'wire with many sharp points all along it' and makes it unlawful to use or permit its use as fencing or as a barrier anywhere in the city, subject to two exceptions: it can run along the top of a fence or barrier built of another material once that fence or barrier already reaches at least six feet in height, and any barbed wire installed and in use for fencing before the ordinance's May 4, 1966 effective date is grandfathered in.

The ban applies citywide and is not limited to residential zones; it covers any property owner who installs or continues to permit prohibited barbed wire. Sec. 6-2 backs the prohibition with a misdemeanor charge and a continuing-violation clock: anyone who uses barbed wire in violation, or who ignores a city officer's order to remove it, is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable under Sec. 1-8, and every ten days that the prohibited wire remains constitutes a separate offense, so a fine for one violation does not excuse continuing to leave it up.

The code makes clear that paying a penalty does not substitute for actually removing the wire; the city can still force removal after or alongside a fine.