Caddo Parish, LA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Advance filing requirement
- At least 15 days before the event
- Permitting official
- Director of parks and recreation
- Precondition
- Hold harmless and indemnity agreement required
- Covered facilities
- Ball diamonds, fields, courts, gyms, field houses
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 36-36
Summary
Caddo Parish requires a permit from the director of parks and recreation to exclusively reserve ball diamonds, fields, courts, field houses, gyms or recreation centers, filed at least 15 days ahead under Code of Ordinances § 36-36.
(a)No person or organization shall reserve for their exclusive use the ball diamonds, football fields, tennis courts, field houses, gymnasiums and recreation centers without first securing a permit from the director of parks and recreation or his designee.(b)Written application for a permit, signed by the responsible party, must be submitted to the director of parks and recreation a minimum of 15 days prior to the proposed activity, setting forth the desired date, time and place of the proposed activity and a detailed description thereof.(c)A hold harmless and indemnity agreement shall be executed and approved by the parish attorney prior to the issuance of a permit by the director of parks and recreation or his designee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 26 | Unified Development Code: Supplement 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 36-36 bars any person or organization from reserving parish parks and recreation facilities, including ball diamonds, football fields, tennis courts, field houses, gymnasiums and recreation centers, for exclusive use without first securing a permit from the director of parks and recreation or that director's designee. The written application must be signed by the person responsible for the event and filed at least 15 days before the proposed activity date, and it must state the desired date, time and place along with a detailed description of what is planned.
Before the parish will issue the permit, the applicant must execute a hold harmless and indemnity agreement that has been approved by the parish attorney, shifting liability for the event away from the parish. The director cannot grant a permit for any activity that is otherwise prohibited under Chapter 36, the parish's parks and recreation chapter; that chapter separately bars political activity in parks (§ 36-37) and unaccompanied children under six (§ 36-38). This section traces to Code 1976 § 12-26(22), was carried into Code 1985 § 16-31, and was last amended by Ord.
No. 3636 on April 8, 1999, and applies only to parish-owned recreation facilities in the unincorporated area, not to city-run parks in Shreveport or the parish's other incorporated towns.
Violations & Fines
Using a reservable parish facility for exclusive purposes without the director's permit, or running an activity the chapter otherwise prohibits, is punishable under Chapter 36's general penalty provision; the hold harmless and indemnity agreement is a mandatory precondition to permit issuance, not an optional add-on.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead must I apply to reserve a Caddo Parish ball field?
Do I need to sign anything besides the application?
Does this permit cover Shreveport's city parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Caddo Parish
Compare Caddo Parish to another location·View the Louisiana special events & permits overview
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