New Orleans, LA Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

City Code § 26-448 defines a regulated 'pool' broadly: any pool, tank, depression or excavation, in or above ground, that holds water deeper than 18 inches and/or has a water surface greater than 150 square feet and is designed or used for swimming, wading or immersion. That threshold catches most portable and above-ground pools sold for residential backyards, not just permanent in-ground pools. Once a pool meets the definition, § 26-448(3) requires it be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition with a functioning filtration system, and requires private swimming pools, hot tubs and spas to be completely surrounded by a fence or barrier at least six feet high, measured on the side facing away from the pool, with access gates that are self-closing and self-latching.

The section's stated purpose is to prevent stagnant water and to keep children and others from wandering into an unsecured pool, and to stop pools from breeding mosquitoes. Enforcement runs through § 26-242: after the city posts notice on the property, an owner has at least eight days to secure the pool before any authorized law enforcement entity or city agent may enter the premises and fill in a noncompliant pool under the emergency abatement procedure. It is separately unlawful under § 26-448(5) for an owner, or an agent acting for an absent owner, to violate the section.

Because § 26-448 does not set its own fine, a violation defaults to the citywide general penalty at § 1-13: up to $1,000 for a first offense and up to $2,000 for a repeat offense, with each day of continued violation charged as a separate offense.