Ascension Parish, LA Parking Rules: Driveway Rules (2026)

Section 17-2081(G), Parking Area Surfacing Standards, sets the material rules for every off-street parking area in unincorporated Ascension Parish. The baseline requirement is a durable, dust-free, all-weather surface: asphalt, concrete, or an approved permeable paving system such as pervious concrete, porous asphalt, open-jointed or permeable interlocking pavers, permeable articulating concrete blocks, or plastic or concrete grid systems filled with gravel or grass. Alternative permeable systems for primary parking need review and approval from the Parish Engineer and Planning Director and must show equivalent load-bearing capacity, ADA compliance and year-round functionality; the code encourages them for low-traffic uses such as employee parking, residential developments and light commercial lots.

Secondary or overflow parking areas may use grassed or gravel-reinforced grid systems in any zoning district without a maintenance plan or load-bearing certification. Subsection G also bars two things outright: loose gravel or unstabilized aggregate for any required parking space, unless it is part of an engineered pervious grid system, and permeable surfaces in areas with a high contamination risk, such as fueling stations or industrial waste zones, unless the system is specifically designed for pollutant filtration. A bare dirt or plain gravel driveway or parking pad does not satisfy the parish's off-street parking requirement; property owners need a recognized paved or engineered permeable surface, and any deviation goes through the Parish Engineer and Planning Director before construction.