Terrebonne Parish, LA Public Conduct: Public Urination (2026)

Section 19-223 of the Terrebonne Parish Code, added by Ordinance No. 9658 on October 30, 2024, bans public urination in three settings: on any public property, in a public road or road right-of-way, or in any place open to the public or exposed to public view, with the third category applying while a person is in, around, or in close proximity to a public event such as a fair, festival, parade, celebration, or carnival where people are gathered for a common purpose. Mardi Gras crowds, downtown festivals, and gatherings along Main Street, Belanger Street and the Bayouwalk all fall within the ordinance's reach.

Because § 19-223 sets no specific fine, the general Code penalty at § 1-6 controls: a conviction carries a misdemeanor sentence of up to 30 days in the parish jail or a fine of up to $500, or both, plus up to 100 hours of community service in place of or in addition to jail time. Houma Police officers, who patrol the former City of Houma service district, and Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's Office deputies, who cover the rest of the parish, both have authority to issue citations under this section.

The current § 19-223 replaced an earlier provision of the same number that penalized obscenity; that older law, dating to the 1965 City Code, was repealed in full by Ordinance No. 6835 in January 2004, leaving the section vacant until the 2024 ordinance filled it with the urination-specific rule that governs today.