REGULATIONS

New Orleans City Code ch. 162, art. IX, div. 2

in effect

New Orleans City Code § 162-941 Garden District tour bus route limitations.

Sec. 162-941. - Garden District tour bus route limitations. (a) Authorized zones. Except as otherwise provided by this section, no buses with a seating capacity of more than 20 passengers shall be permitted to travel on any street within the area known as the Garden District, which is bounded by St. Charles Avenue, Jackson Avenue, Louisiana Avenue and Magazine Street. Tour buses may be stopped for the purpose of receiving and discharging passengers for the Garden District at authorized zones that are marked and bear signs indicating that tour buses may stop for the purpose of receiving and discharging passengers. Tour buses may be parked while pedestrian Garden District Tours are in progress at authorized zones within nonresidential areas. The authorized zones shall be designated by the director of the department of public works. (b) Exceptions. (1) The bus route limitation of this section shall not be applicable to school buses transporting students in the Garden District. (2) The director of the department of public works may authorize up to 22 buses per month having a seating capacity of more than 20 passengers to travel on Prytania Street and Washington Avenue within the Garden District for the sole purpose of receiving and discharging passengers from commercial establishments if customers were transported to the establishments by bus on a regular basis on or before July 1, 1979. A permit shall be issued by the director of the department of public works to each bus authorized to travel on Prytania Street and Washington Avenue under the provisions of this subsection. The permit shall be displayed in a conspicuous place on the bus so as to be visible to police or other law enforcement officers in accordance with regulations established by the director of the department of public works. Buses permitted under this subsection shall park only in authorized zones marked and bearing signs permitting such parking, such zones to be designated by the director of the department of public works and the director of the department of public works. (c) Penalty. In addition to any other penalty that may be imposed in accordance with the laws of this city and state, the director of the department of public works may suspend a permit issued pursuant to this section for any violation of this section for not less than one nor more than five days. The director may revoke a permit issued to this section for repeated violations of this section. (d) Parking. Except as otherwise provided by this section, it shall be unlawful to park any bus with a seating capacity of more than 20 passengers in the Garden District. (e) Operation at idle. It shall be unlawful for the operator of a bus to allow the bus to operate at idle for a period longer than ten minutes in the Garden District, except for situations beyond the operator's control. (f) Violations. It shall be unlawful for the operator of any bus to violate the provisions of this section. Any person cited for violation of this section shall be subject to arrest or to the issuance of a summons or citation. (Code 1956, § 12-249; M.C.S., Ord. No. 21480, § 5, 4-1-04; M.C.S., Ord. No. 28624, § 2, 3-11-21)

New Orleans City Code § 162-942 Vieux Carré bus limitations.

Sec. 162-942. - Vieux Carré bus limitations. (a) It shall be unlawful for any bus having an overall length longer than 31 feet to use any street within the Vieux Carré, except as provided for in the rules and regulations promulgated under subsection (d) of this section. (b) Those buses with an overall length in excess of 20 feet and not greater than 31 feet may use the streets of the Vieux Carré as provided for in this section. For the purposes of this section a bus shall be defined as any road bus, tour bus or tour vehicle, excluding limousines and taxicabs. (c) For the purposes of this section, Vieux Carré shall mean the area within the lake side of North Peters Street, the center line of Decatur Street between Conti Street and St. Philip Street, the downriver side of Esplanade Avenue, the river side of North Rampart Street and the downriver side of Canal Street. Therefore, all buses, regardless of the overall length, shall be permitted to use North Rampart Street, Canal Street, North Peters Street, and the river side of Decatur Street between Conti Street and St. Philip Street. (d) A properly licensed CPNC bus having an overall length in excess of 20 feet and not greater than 31 feet shall be permitted to use routes in the Vieux Carré as recommended by the director of the department of public works and approved by the city council. The director of public works shall, within 135 days of the adoption of this ordinance (Ordinance Number 17,558 M.C.S., as amended by Ordinance Number 17,727 M.C.S.), promulgate such rules and regulations, in compliance with section 2-1000 of the City Code, as enacted by Ordinance Number 17,611 M.C.S., necessary to enforce the provisions of this section. Such rules and regulations shall become effective, in accordance with section 4-107(3)(d) of the Home Rule Charter, only after approval by the city council, after review and recommendation by the council's ground transportation committee or its successor. No bus operator while loading or unloading passengers shall be permitted to idle the bus engine longer than ten minutes. Further, no bus shall be allowed to stop in one place for a period in excess of 15 minutes. (e) A violation by a CPNC holder or its driver of any of the regulations set forth in this section shall result in a fine and/or suspension or revocation of the CPNC according to the following: (1) First violation in any 12-month period shall result in a fine of not less than $200.00 nor more than $500.00, to be determined by a duly authorized hearing examiner following a hearing on the matter. (2) Second violation in any 12-month period shall result in a fine of $500.00 and/or suspension of the CPNC for a minimum period of one month and a maximum period of six months, to be determined by a duly authorized hearing examiner following a hearing on the matter. (3) Third violation in any 12-month period shall result in a fine of $500.00 and suspension of the CPNC for a minimum period of three months and a maximum period of 12 months, to be determined by a duly authorized hearing examiner following a hearing on the matter. (4) Fourth violation in any 12-month period shall result in the revocation of the CPNC. If another violation takes place during the revocation period, an additional period of 12 months shall be added to the revocation period for each violation. Prior to such revocation, the CPNC holder shall be entitled to a hearing on the matter before a duly authorized hearing examiner. (f) A violation by a bus driver or company who is not a CPNC holder of any of the regulations set forth in this section shall result in a fine and/or imprisonment and additional actions by the city according to the following: (1) First violation shall result in a fine of not less than $200.00 and the department of public works' nonapproval of any CPNC application made by the offending driver or the offending company for a three-month period from the date of the violation. (2) Second violation shall result in a fine of not less than $400.00 and imprisonment for not more than three months and the department of public works' nonapproval of any CPNC application made by the offending driver or the offending company for a six-month period from the date of the violation. (3) Third violation shall result in a fine of not less than $500.00 and imprisonment for not less than 30 days. Thirty days or more of public service in the Vieux Carré and adjacent areas may be substituted for the days of imprisonment. Further, the department of public works shall not consider any CPNC application or issue any CPNC to the offending driver or the offending company for a period of nine months from the date of the violation. (4) Four or more violations shall result in a fine of not less than $500.00 and imprisonment for not less than 60 days for each violation. Sixty days or more of public service in the Vieux Carré and adjacent areas may be substituted for the days of imprisonment. Further, the department of public works shall not consider any CPNC application or issue any CPNC to the offending company for a period of 12 months from the date of the violation. Further, if more than four violations take place, an additional 12-month nonapproval period shall be added for each violation to the original period during which time no CPNC application shall be considered or issued. (g) The director of the department of public works shall make such administrative regulations which may be necessary to implement the provisions of this section; such regulations shall become effective upon approval of the city council after review and recommendation by the council's ground transportation committee or its successor. (Code 1956, § 12-250; M.C.S., Ord. No. 17,558, § 1, 6-6-96; M.C.S., Ord. No. 17,727, § 1, 8-15-96; M.C.S., Ord. No. 17,789, § 1, 10-3-96; M.C.S., Ord. No. 17,823, § 1, 10-17-96; M.C.S., Ord. No. 21480, § 5, 4-1-04; M.C.S., Ord. No. 25795, § 1, 4-24-14; M.C.S., Ord. No. 28624, § 2, 3-11-21)

New Orleans City Code § 162-943 Eastern New Orleans tour bus route limitations.

Sec. 162-943. - Eastern New Orleans tour bus route limitations. Authorized zones. Except as otherwise provided by this section, no tours for compensation may be conducted in the area east of the Industrial Canal. Tours for compensation may not be conducted in that area. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 22118, § 1, 1-5-06)

New Orleans City Code § 162-944 Definitions.

Sec. 162-944. - Definitions. Noisemakers shall mean any device, not required for the legal operation of the vehicle, either sold or distributed free of charge which produces sounds similar to bells, horn, whistles, claps, or sounds imitative of animals. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 25794, § 1, 4-24-14)

New Orleans City Code § 162-945 Amphibious vehicle limitations.

Sec. 162-945. - Amphibious vehicle limitations. Any tour bus or sightseeing bus capable of amphibious transportation shall be precluded from operating within the geographical boundaries of New Orleans City Council District "A" and New Orleans City Council District "C." (M.C.S., Ord. No. 25794, § 1, 4-24-14)

New Orleans City Code § 162-946 Prohibition on noisemakers and amplified sound in the operation of any tour or sightseeing vehicle including vehicles capable of amphibious transportation.

Sec. 162-946. - Prohibition on noisemakers and amplified sound in the operation of any tour or sightseeing vehicle including vehicles capable of amphibious transportation. The operators and employees of any tour bus or sightseeing bus including vehicles capable of amphibious transportation shall not use noisemakers, permit the use of noisemakers, or distribute noisemakers to passengers. Amplified sound, other than sounds produced for the legal operation of the vehicle, shall not be plainly audible from the public-right-of-way or private property while operating any tour bus or sightseeing bus including vehicles capable of amphibious transportation in the City of New Orleans in order to minimize the intrusion of amplified sound. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 25794, § 1, 4-24-14)

New Orleans City Code § 162-947 Regulation of per capita continuous loop, fixed-route sightseeing tour vehicles.

Sec. 162-947. - Regulation of per capita continuous loop, fixed-route sightseeing tour vehicles. (a) Per capita continuous loop, fixed-route sightseeing tour vehicle stops located on city-owned streets or other city-owned property require approval by the director of public works. (b) Signage located on city-owned streets or other city-owned property identifying the location of per capita continuous loop, fixed-route sightseeing tour vehicle stops is required, the design and placement of which requires approval by the director of public works. (c) Stops on city-owned streets shall be for active passenger loading and unloading only and not used for staging. (d) Per capita continuous loop sightseeing stops on city-owned streets that are co-located with regional transit authority stops are permitted, subject to the approval of the director of public works. (e) The executive director of the regional transit authority shall be notified of the locations of the continuous loop, fixed-route sightseeing tour vehicle stops. (f) The regional transit authority shall be notified by the department of public works of any application for a vehicle stop at the same location where an regional transit authority has a stop. (g) The director of the department of public works is hereby authorized, as a police measure, to designate the location of continuous loop sightseeing stops on the streets and other public places in the city. Such stands shall be marked by appropriate signs and shall be reserved exclusively for the parking of taxicabs or other for-hire vehicles as specified by such signs, while waiting to pick up passengers for hire. (M.C.S., Ord. No. 27735, § 1, 4-19-18; M.C.S., Ord. No. 28624, § 2, 3-11-21; M.C.S., Ord. No. 30194, § 1, 12-19-24)

Source: City of New Orleans, Code of Ordinances and Home Rule Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/la/new_orleans/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH162VEHI_ARTIXTOVEBU_DIV2REFetched: 10/28/2026