Shreveport, LA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Chief of police or designee
- Application deadline
- At least 1 week before parade
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 60 days jail
- Animal buffer
- 200 yards, 2 hrs before/1 hr after
- Vendor rule
- Vendors within 200 yards need own license
- Glass ban
- Glass bottles barred within 200 feet
Summary
Shreveport requires a parade permit from the chief of police or a designee before any parade may march or proceed along a city street. Organizers must apply at least one week ahead with a list of everyone driving in the parade and disclose whether anything will be thrown from a float; missing that deadline means the permit is denied.
No parade shall occupy, march or proceed along any street except in accordance with a permit issued by the chief of police or his designee and such other regulations as are set forth in this chapter which may apply. No parade permit shall be issued unless, not less than one week before the date of the parade, the person applying for the permit submits to chief of police or his designee, in writing a list of persons who will drive motor vehicles in the parade and a statement as to whether any object will be thrown from any float or vehicle taking part in the parade. If such information is not submitted within said time, no permit shall be issued and the parade shall be cancelled.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 Update 1 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Beyond the permit itself, chapter 78 layers on parade-day rules that apply once the chief of police signs off. Every driver in the parade needs a valid license and must submit to an intoxilyzer test before the floats move, wear an orange identifying vest, and stay sober; any float that throws objects must be fitted with anti-runover skirts or flanked by walking escorts posted at each wheel. During Mardi Gras parades, and for two hours before and after, section 78-113 bars parking, loitering or stopping anywhere along the route from curb to curb, including the neutral ground, and bars crossing the parade barricades once the procession starts.
Parade vendors selling goods within 200 yards of the route need a separate parade vendor license under section 42-317. Throws are restricted too: no life-threatening objects, sharp-stemmed items, dead or live animals, silly string, cardboard boxes, or condoms may be handed out on a Mardi Gras route, and throwing anything back at a float is itself unlawful. Glass bottles are barred within 200 feet of the route on parade day, and banners or flags that block the view of public safety personnel are barred within 50 feet.
Animals, other than pets secured at a residence along the route or service animals, cannot be within 200 yards of the route for two hours before through one hour after the parade ends.
Violations & Fines
Police, fire and code enforcement officers can remove any person, float or vehicle violating chapter 78 from the parade and can tow an unoccupied vehicle blocking the route. Section 78-119 sets the penalty at up to 60 days in jail, a $500.00 fine, or both. A float without required skirts or escorts is pulled from the procession immediately, and Mardi Gras throwers who violate the prohibited-throw rules face on-the-spot removal from the parade.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead must I apply for a parade permit?
Can I park along the parade route?
What can't be thrown from a float?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shreveport
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