Gretna, LA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Overnight window
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Notice to vacate
- 24 hours, with services info
- Property hold period
- minimum 30 days
- Third-conviction penalty
- up to $500 fine or 6 months jail
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 5016, Jan. 20, 2025
Summary
In the City of Gretna, camping in any public area, including streets, parks, underpasses and rights-of-way, is unlawful, and camping on someone else's private property without written consent is also banned. Crews must post a 24-hour notice to vacate, with services information, before clearing a site under Gretna Code of Ordinances § 16-158.
(1)Camping means engaging in any one or more of the following:a.Erecting or occupying a tent, temporary structure, or vehicle for living accommodation purposes in a public area or on the private property of another;b.Starting or maintaining a campfire;c.Sleeping, lying down on, or residing in a public area or on the private property of another overnight; ord.Storing personal items in any public area or on the private property of another overnight. ... (b)Prohibited camping.(1)It shall be unlawful for any person to camp in a public area.(2)It shall be unlawful for any person to camp on the private property of another without the express written consent of the property owner or the owner's agent. ... (c)Enforcement.(1)Upon discovery of a campsite prohibited by this section, the campsite may be removed under the following circumstances:a.A notice to vacate the area within 24 hours shall be posted, which shall include information on available shelters, housing assistance, and human services, and the contact information for public and private entities that offer such services.
Full Breakdown
Section 16-158, added by Ord. No. ), or storing personal items overnight in a public area or on another's private property without consent. Camping is unlawful in any public area, including streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, parking lots, waterway banks, underpasses, bridges, parks, railroads, bus stops and building entryways, and unlawful on private property without the owner's express written consent; the ban does not reach facilities where camping is a specifically authorized activity. Before removing a campsite, the city must post a notice to vacate within 24 hours that lists available shelters, housing assistance and human services contacts, unless a law enforcement officer finds an imminent health and safety threat, in which case the notice can be skipped.
Personal items left behind must be held at least 30 days for the owner to reclaim with proof of ownership before the city may dispose of them. Every summons issued under the ordinance must also be served on the Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority, tying enforcement to a referral pathway rather than a straight citation.
Violations & Fines
Failing to vacate after the 24-hour notice, or after an officer's imminent-threat order, is punished on an escalating scale: up to ten hours of community service for a first conviction, up to 20 hours for a second, and for a third or subsequent conviction either up to 30 hours of community service, a fine of up to $500.00, or up to six months' imprisonment, at the trier of fact's discretion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sleeping in a Gretna park overnight illegal?
Does the city have to warn campers before clearing a site?
What happens to belongings left at a cleared Gretna campsite?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gretna
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