Home occupations in New Orleans may receive limited client visits under CZO Article 20, with no more than one client or customer on the premises at any given time and no client visits before 8 AM or after 8 PM. On-street parking demand cannot exceed normal residential levels. Historic district streets with limited parking face stricter scrutiny.
CZO Article 20.3 limits customer and client visits to a home occupation to maintain residential character. Only one client or customer may be present at the dwelling at any one time, and visits are restricted to the hours of 8 AM through 8 PM. The home occupation may not generate vehicular traffic in excess of what is normal for a residential use, and may not require off-street parking beyond what is required for the dwelling itself. Deliveries by commercial vehicles larger than a standard pickup or van are prohibited, and routine deliveries (USPS, UPS, FedEx, Amazon) are allowed at normal residential frequencies. These rules effectively prohibit retail walk-in business, classes with multiple students, group fitness sessions, large-scale therapy practices, and event hosting. Therapists, tutors, music teachers (one student at a time), and similar professionals are typically able to comply. In the French Quarter and other dense historic neighborhoods where on-street parking is already constrained, complaints from neighbors about home-occupation customer parking are a leading source of CZO enforcement actions through Code Enforcement and the Bureau of Administrative Adjudication. Repeat violations can result in revocation of the home occupation permit and fines.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact New Orleans code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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