New Orleans, LA Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Sit-Lie Rules (2026)

Section 146-493 makes it unlawful for any person, natural or juridical, to "deposit, encumber, obstruct, or cause to be obstructed" any street, gutter, sidewalk, or public space parallel to a sidewalk by placing articles that impede free use of the right-of-way. The ordinance specifically lists the erection of tents, items of household furniture not intended for outdoor use, or other semi-permanent structures as prohibited unless a permit authorizes them: language that directly targets encampment-style setups on sidewalks and other public places. Removal of these items is not handled by the police department alone; the code assigns enforcement to the director of the Department of Health or a designee, operating under the New Orleans Health Department Regulations Governing Public Place/Right-of-Way Obstructions, approved by the city council on June 17, 2015.

A separate clause addresses unsecured bicycles, mobility aids and electric scooters, which the Department of Public Works may remove and store immediately when their placement blocks the right-of-way. The section is not absolute: it carves out an exception for small-scale, portable outdoor equipment used at a permitted event, and a companion section, 146-494, separately governs sidewalk obstruction caused by crowds gathering around street performances near Jackson Square. S. Ord. No. 29169).