New Orleans, LA Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Delivery vehicle limit
- 45 minutes
- Taxicab (freight) limit
- 25 minutes
- Fine
- $30 / $60 / $90 (30/60 days)
- Musician permit duration
- 1 hr before/after show, 15 min cap
- Permits per business
- 2, non-transferable
- Enforcement
- Parking adjudication bureau; towing after 3 unpaid tickets
Summary
New Orleans caps how long vehicles may sit in a signed loading, freight-only, or freight zone: delivery vehicles get 45 minutes, taxicabs hauling merchandise get 25 minutes, and any vehicle not actively loading or unloading must move on or risk a citation.
(a)No person shall stop or park a vehicle for any purpose or period of time, other than for the expeditious loading and unloading of merchandise, or necessary equipment, in any place signed as a loading, freight only, or freight zone (hereafter, loading zone). No vehicle shall remain in a loading zone when not actively loading or unloading unless the vehicle meets the definition of a delivery vehicle...(b)If a vehicle meets the definition of a delivery vehicle, it will be allowed to remain in the loading zone for 45 minutes. Taxicabs, when actually engaged in the transportation of merchandise, not passengers, will be allowed 25 minutes for the completion of the loading or unloading. This allotted time shall be used to complete the delivery of merchandise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 116 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 154-868 restricts loading, freight-only, and freight zones to vehicles "actively engaged" in loading or unloading merchandise or necessary equipment; a vehicle just parked there without doing so is in violation even if it meets the definition of a delivery vehicle. A qualifying delivery vehicle, one with a commercial, truck, or for-hire taxi plate and business markings on both sides, is allowed 45 minutes in the zone. A taxicab hauling merchandise rather than passengers gets 25 minutes to complete the delivery. Loading zones may also be used briefly for picking up or dropping off passengers when that doesn't block a vehicle waiting to load or unload freight, and freight handling/service truck zones double as service zones for repair work.
Subsection (d) adds a narrower carve-out for the music industry: a business permitted for live entertainment under the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance can obtain a "musician loading/unloading parking permit" from the Department of Safety and Permits, letting a non-delivery vehicle use a loading zone for up to one hour before and after a scheduled performance, capped at 15 minutes of actual occupancy, with only two non-transferable permits issued per approved location. Enforcement runs through the city's parking adjudication bureau, and repeat offenders' vehicles can be immobilized or towed under § 154-777 once three or more citations against the same vehicle go unpaid.
Violations & Fines
A § 154-868 violation falls into fine category (1) of the city's parking schedule under § 154-699: $30.00 for the initial citation, rising to $60.00 if unpaid after 30 days and $90.00 after 60 days. An unoccupied vehicle carrying three or more delinquent, unpaid citations under this section may be immobilized, towed, and impounded by police or another duly authorized officer under § 154-777.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a delivery truck park in a New Orleans loading zone?
Can a taxicab use a loading zone?
Is there a special permit for musicians loading equipment?
What's the fine for illegally parking in a loading zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Orleans
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