Terrebonne Parish, LA Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)

Section 22-11, in chapter 22's general obstruction provisions covering the whole parish, bars anyone from placing, erecting or maintaining an obstruction in or on a street, sidewalk, public right-of-way or watercourse in the Parish of Terrebonne so that it impedes travel or passage, or blocks the free flow of water. The parish separately codified a near-identical prohibition at section 22-26 that applies specifically inside the old Houma city limits, along with a companion permit process at section 22-27 letting a property owner ask the parish council or its delegate for special permission to obstruct a street, sidewalk or watercourse temporarily, such as during building operations; the council can attach conditions covering the size of the obstruction, its duration, the type of barrier used and required safety precautions like barricades and warning lights.

Neither the general section 22-11 prohibition nor the companion 22-26 provision spells out its own fine, so violations fall under the Code's general penalty at section 1-6: a misdemeanor punishable by up to thirty days in the parish jail, a fine of up to $500, or both, plus up to 100 hours of community service in place of or in addition to that penalty. Because each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense, an obstruction left in place across multiple days can produce cumulative exposure well beyond a single $500 fine.

TPCG's Public Works Department and Code Enforcement, along with the Houma Police inside the old city limits and the Sheriff's Office elsewhere, are the practical enforcers, since section 22-11 gives no dedicated enforcement office of its own.