New Orleans has no citywide sit-lie ordinance unlike Los Angeles or San Francisco, but obstructing sidewalks in the Central Business District, French Quarter, and Bourbon Street pedestrian mall remains enforceable under Code Section 54-411.
Unlike LAMC 41.18 in Los Angeles, New Orleans has not enacted a citywide sit-lie or anti-camping ordinance. Sidewalk obstruction prosecutions proceed under Code Section 54-411 (general obstruction of public passage) and Chapter 70 right-of-way rules, applied most actively in the CBD, French Quarter, and Bourbon Street pedestrian mall during festivals. Officers issue warnings before citation under NOPD operational guidance, with arrests reserved for repeated refusals to move. Federal Martin v. Boise constraints apply when shelter beds are unavailable, and city policy directs outreach-first response coordinated with UNITY.
Sidewalk obstruction citations under Section 54-411 are misdemeanors with fines up to $500 and possible jail; Martin v. Boise bars enforcement when no adequate shelter beds are available.
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See how New Orleans's sit-lie rules rules stack up against other locations.
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