Bossier City, LA Property Maintenance: Vacant Lot Maintenance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Bossier City Code § 94-1(b)(7)-(8)
- Owner duty
- keep vacant lot free of litter at all times
- Fine range
- $200.00 to $500.00 per violation (§ 94-1(e))
- Jail exposure
- up to 60 days
- Enforcement
- Public works dept. and police dept. citations
- Extra remedy
- city may sue and lien the property
Summary
Bossier City requires owners of open or vacant private property to keep the premises free of litter at all times, and separately bans anyone from dumping litter there in the first place. Sec. 94-1(b)(7)-(8) folds vacant lots into the city's littering ordinance, with fines from $200.00 to $500.00 and up to 60 days in jail for a violation.
(7)Owner to maintain premises free of litter. The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain the premises free of litter on any open or vacant private property whether owned by that person or not.(8)Litter on vacant lots. No person shall throw or deposit litter on any open or vacant private property whether owned by that person or not. ... (e)Penalty. Any person violating any provision of this section shall be cited to appear before the court and upon conviction be:(1)Fined an amount not less than $200.00 nor more than $500.00, or be imprisoned for a period of not more than 60 days or be penalized by a combination of a fine and imprisonment; and(2)Required to spend a period of time not to exceed eight hours in one calendar day performing community service work as may be directed by the judge.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 94-1, in Chapter 94's solid-waste article, defines litter broadly to include garbage, trash, refuse, debris, grass clippings, construction material, discarded furniture and similar waste, then bans depositing it almost everywhere in the city. Subsection (b)(7) puts an affirmative duty on the owner or person in control of any private property, occupied or not, to maintain the premises free of litter on any open or vacant parcel, whether or not that person actually owns it. Subsection (b)(8) separately bans anyone from throwing or depositing litter on open or vacant private property in the first place, again regardless of ownership, closing the loop between the person who dumps and the person responsible for the land.
Together the two provisions mean a vacant lot's owner can be cited for letting litter accumulate even if a third party dumped it, while the person who actually dumped the material faces the same exposure. The article's enforcement clause, Sec. 94-1(d), puts the department of public works and the police department in charge of issuing citations to anyone believed responsible for depositing litter within the city. Penalties under Sec. 94-1(e) run from $200.00 to $500.00 per violation, up to 60 days in jail, or a combination of both, plus up to eight hours of court-ordered community service in a single calendar day.
The city can also sue civilly to recover its litter-removal costs and file a lien against the property under Sec. 94-1(f), tying directly back to the lien mechanism in Sec. 46-68.
Violations & Fines
Letting litter accumulate on a vacant lot, or dumping litter there in the first place, violates Sec. 94-1(b)(7)-(8). A conviction under Sec. 94-1(e) carries a fine of $200.00 to $500.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both, plus up to eight hours of community service, and the city can additionally sue to recover cleanup costs and place a lien on the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who's responsible for litter on a vacant lot in Bossier City?
What's the fine for a litter violation in Bossier City?
Can the city bill me for cleaning up a vacant lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bossier City
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