Ascension Parish, LA Sign Regulations: Garage Sale Signs (2026)
Key Facts
- First offense
- $150 fine or 4 hours litter detail
- Repeat offense
- Up to $500 fine or 8 hours detail
- Added fees
- $50 court costs + $50 investigative fee
- Criminal alternative
- Up to 20 days jail (Sec. 11-85)
- Scope
- Only signs placed in public right-of-way
Summary
In unincorporated Ascension Parish, a garage sale sign counts as litter the moment it sits in a public right-of-way. Parish Code § 11-81 defines litter to include garage sale signs placed in any public right-of-way, and § 11-82 makes disposing of litter on public property unlawful. Put the sign in your own yard and it is legal; leave it on the road shoulder or median and it is citable.
Litter shall include all signs, including but not limited to for sale, for rent, realtor signs, garage sale signs ... placed in any public right-of-way. ... (a)No person shall intentionally dispose or permit the disposal of litter upon any public property, private property not owned by him, or in or on the waters of this parish.
Full Breakdown
Ascension Parish's litter ordinance, Article IV of Chapter 11, was rewritten by an ordinance adopted April 19, 2001 and amended August 18, 2005. ' The rule also reaches signs placed on private property that is not the sign owner's own, so nailing a sign to a neighbor's fence without permission is covered too. The article does not touch a sign kept entirely on the seller's own yard. S. 13:2586. A cited person can admit the violation and pay, or contest it at an adjudicatory hearing where the parish is represented by the district attorney's office.
Failing to answer or pay triggers a default civil judgment carrying the same force as a money judgment, and a defaulting respondent can be summoned to show cause why nonpayment should not be treated as civil contempt.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under Section 11-84 draws a $150.00 fine or four hours of parish litter detail collecting trash from public property; each later violation can run up to $500.00 or eight hours of detail, and every separate sign is its own occurrence. Add $50.00 in court costs and $50.00 in investigative fees per violation. Prosecuted criminally instead of civilly, the same conduct is a misdemeanor carrying up to twenty days in jail under Section 11-85.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I place a garage sale sign along the road in unincorporated Ascension Parish?
What happens if I get cited for a garage sale sign?
Who enforces the sign-as-litter rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ascension Parish
Compare Ascension Parish to another location·View the Louisiana sign regulations overview
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