Ouachita Parish, LA Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Removal notice period
- 15 days
- First-offense fine
- up to $200
- Subsequent-offense fine
- up to $500
- Vehicle removal cost cap
- $500
- Appliance removal cost cap
- $2,500
- Fence alternative
- 7-ft screening fence within 10 days
- Jurisdiction
- unincorporated parish only
Summary
Storing or abandoning a junked, wrecked, or inoperable vehicle on any property in unincorporated Ouachita Parish violates Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-3. The police jury office posts a 15-day removal notice; if the owner does not remove the vehicle or request a hearing, the parish declares it public property, tows it, and bills removal costs up to $500.
(b)It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, corporation or association or their agent, either as owner, lessee, tenant or occupant, to store or abandon any junked, wrecked or used automobiles or motor vehicles or any part or parts thereof on any property within unincorporated areas of this parish. ... The notice shall require that the vehicle be removed within fifteen (15) days from the date of placement of the notice or that the owner of the vehicle request by registered mail addressed to the Ouachita Parish Police Jury that a public hearing be held by the Ouachita Parish Police Jury regarding the required disposition of the junked, wrecked or used automobile or motor vehicle. ... (h) Penalty. The owner and/or occupant of property whereon items are stored or abandoned in violation of this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than two hundred dollars ($200.00) for a first violation. In the event of subsequent violations on the same property this fine shall be increased to not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Full Breakdown
Section 8-3 defines a junked, wrecked or used automobile as any motor vehicle that is totally inoperable, totally or partially dismantled, or unable to perform its original function, and treats major appliances such as refrigerators, freezers and ranges the same way. It is unlawful for an owner, lessee, tenant or occupant to store or abandon such a vehicle, appliance, or other junk on any property within the parish's unincorporated areas; Monroe and West Monroe enforce their own municipal codes and are not covered by this parish section.
After a complaint, the police jury office posts notice on the vehicle requiring removal within 15 days. Instead of removing it, the owner may request by registered mail to the Ouachita Parish Police Jury a public hearing before a three-member panel, held within 30 days, with the right to counsel, witnesses and evidence; an adverse decision can be appealed to the Police Jury or the Fourth Judicial District Court. An owner outside a municipality may also build a seven-foot chain-link or solid metal fence completely screening the vehicle within 10 days of notice, in lieu of removal.
If the vehicle is not removed, fenced, or hearing-requested within 15 days, it becomes public property; the parish enters the property, tows it, and bills the owner up to $500 for automobiles or $2,500 for major appliances, with unpaid charges recorded as a lien through the recorder of mortgages.
Violations & Fines
Violating Sec. 8-3 carries a fine of up to $200 for a first offense and up to $500 for a later violation on the same property. Beyond the fine, the owner owes the parish's actual removal costs, capped at $500 for vehicles and $2,500 for major appliances, which the tax collector may add to the property's ad valorem tax bill with a 15 percent collection surcharge if unpaid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule apply inside Monroe or West Monroe?
Can I avoid removing a junked car by fencing it in?
What happens if I ignore the 15-day notice?
Can I contest a removal order?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ouachita Parish
Compare Ouachita Parish to another location·View the Louisiana parking rules overview
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