New Orleans caps grass and weeds at 10 inches. Every property, including vacant land, must be kept below that height. Owners get about five days after a notice to cut before the city mows and bills them, with the cost added to the tax rolls.
Under Sec. 26-160 (and companion nuisance provisions in Ch. 66), all premises and exterior property must be maintained free from weeds or plant growth more than ten inches tall across the entire lot. 'Weeds' means all grasses, annual plants, and vegetation other than trees or shrubs, and excludes cultivated flowers and gardens. The 10-inch limit was adopted in 2021, replacing the old 18-inch threshold. Enforcement is complaint-driven: the Department of Code Enforcement issues a Notice of Violation, the owner has about five days to correct, and if the grass isn't cut the city performs the work and charges the owner.
City mows after the five-day cure period and bills the owner; first cut typically $300 or more; unpaid charges added to the owner's ad valorem tax bill; repeat neglect can trigger nuisance/blight adjudication.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
New Orleans, LA
City Code Ch. 66, Art. IV defines nighttime quiet hours as 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekends. In residential receiv...
New Orleans, LA
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New Orleans, LA
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New Orleans, LA
New Orleans has no city ordinance specifying installation dates, removal deadlines, or brightness limits for residential holiday light displays. However, pro...
New Orleans, LA
Built-in outdoor kitchens in New Orleans require building, gas, electrical, and plumbing permits through the Department of Safety and Permits via the One Sto...
New Orleans, LA
New Orleans has no city ordinance specifically regulating residential backyard smokers, pellet grills, or wood-fired ovens. Operation is governed by general ...
See how New Orleans's weeds & overgrown grass rules stack up against other locations.
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