# Sign Regulations in New Orleans, Louisiana

Sign permit rules, size and height limits, setbacks, and ordinance citations for New Orleans, Louisiana, compiled by PermitPal from the jurisdiction's published municipal code.

- **Jurisdiction:** New Orleans, Louisiana (LA)
- **Canonical page:** https://permitpal.io/sign-regulations/louisiana/new-orleans
- **Data last verified:** 2025-05-08
- **Source:** [municode municipal code](https://library.municode.com/LA/New_Orleans/codes/Code_of_Ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH134SI)

## At a glance

New Orleans, Louisiana regulates 6 sign types across 3 zoning districts. Wall Sign (Single-Faced)s in the Vieux Carré zoning district are capped at 8 square feet (Sec. Sec. 166-77, Sec. 166-79, Sec. 166-80, Sec. 166-81, Sec. 166-83, Sec. 166-84, Sec. 166-85, Sec. 166-86(1,3,4,7), Sec. 166-87). Most commercial signs in New Orleans require a permit.

## Sign rules by zoning district (3 zones)

| Zoning District | Sign Types Regulated | Max Height | Max Area | Permit Required |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Vieux Carré | 2 | — | 16 square feet (sum of both faces) | — |
| Vieux Carré Entertainment District (Bourbon Street, Vieux Carré Entertainment District) | 3 | — | 50 square feet (sum of both faces) | — |
| General Regulations For All Zones | 1 | — | — | — |

## Zone-by-zone sign requirements

### Vieux Carré

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Wall Sign (Single-Faced) | — | 8 square feet | — | — | 1 sign per street face per business | Attached flat against the wall of store, shop or bona fide business; not on balconies, fences, or open lots unless in proportion and does not exceed maximum | — | Sec. 166-77, Sec. 166-79, Sec. 166-80, Sec. 166-81, Sec. 166-83, Sec. 166-84, Sec. 166-85, Sec. 166-86(1,3,4,7), Sec. 166-87 |
| Double-Faced Sign | — | 16 square feet (sum of both faces) | — | — | 1 sign per street face per business | Suspended by brackets or arms, perpendicularly from the wall of a building; not on balconies, fences, or open lots unless in proportion and does not exceed maximum | — | Sec. 166-77, Sec. 166-79, Sec. 166-80, Sec. 166-81, Sec. 166-83, Sec. 166-84, Sec. 166-85, Sec. 166-86(2,5,6,7), Sec. 166-87 |

### Vieux Carré Entertainment District (Bourbon Street, Vieux Carré Entertainment District)

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Category Sign (Single-Faced Flat) | — | 25 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Attached parallel to or painted on the façade, not to cover any window, door or architectural detail. Only first floor façade for businesses operated on the first floor; upper floor businesses at ground floor access points. | — | Sec. 166-92 (1, 2, 3, 5) |
| Category Sign (Double-Faced) | — | 50 square feet (sum of both faces) | — | — | 1 per business | Suspended by brackets or arms perpendicularly from the wall, or attached as approved, only at public/customer space of the Bourbon Street façade. | — | Sec. 166-92 (1, 2, 3, 5) |
| Inventory Sign | — | 2 square feet | — | — | 1 per business | Single-faced flat sign advertising products/services/prices, at façade. | — | Sec. 166-92(1)(c) |

### General Regulations For All Zones

| Sign Type | Max Height | Max Area | Max Width | Setback | Signs Allowed | Location | Permit Required | Ordinance Citation |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| All Signs (General Requirement) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Sec. 166-88, Sec. 166-89, Sec. 166-90, Sec. 166-91, Sec. 166-93 |

## Prohibited signs in New Orleans

- The display of miscellaneous character signs visible from public streets, highways, and alleys within the Vieux Carré section is prohibited except as otherwise provided in this article (Sec. 166-77).
- No sign shall be displayed from the parapet or roofs of any buildings along Decatur Street or French Market Place (both sides) from Esplanade Avenue to Ursuline Street or facing Ursuline Street from Decatur Street to the Mississippi River (Sec. 166-78).
- No sign shall be placed upon a balcony, gallery, canopy, shed, roof, door or window, or in any manner that disfigures or conceals any architectural feature or detail of any building (Sec. 166-84).
- No sign shall be displayed from any fence, wall, or open lot unless it conforms in proportion to the allowable area and does not exceed the maximum (Sec. 166-84).
- No sign shall project more than 48 inches beyond the building line, except as noted for illumination hoods (Sec. 166-85).
- No sign of any character shall be displayed unless it advertises a bona fide business conducted on the premises; no more than 50 percent of sign area may advertise products or commodities actually sold on the premises (Sec. 166-81).
- Any sign that no longer advertises a bona fide business conducted on the premises must be removed within five days of notification (Sec. 166-82).
- Only one sign per street face is allowed for each store, shop, or bona fide place of business, regardless of front footage, and the sign shall not exceed the maximum size stipulated (Sec. 166-83).
- All signs are subject to limitations on maximum and minimum size depending on single-faced or double-faced signs, with specific area limits (Sec. 166-86).
- Illuminated signs may only use steady incandescent floodlights (maximum 75 watts), light sources must be concealed (Sec. 166-87).
- All signs must comply with applicable building codes not in conflict with this article (Sec. 166-88).
- Any sign or exterior illumination displayed contrary to the provisions of this article shall be removed (Sec. 166-91).

## Signs exempt from permit in New Orleans

- No permit is required for a theatre or commercial establishment changing the bill of its acts and features or the nature of its commodities and wares and the prices thereof on established and approved frames, commonly known as 'menu boards' or 'menu boxes' (Sec. 166-80).

## Sign plan & submission notes

- Approval of the display of a sign shall be granted only when the signs and the plans therefor conform to the character of the Vieux Carré or do not impair the value to the community of buildings of architectural or historical worth (Sec. 166-79).
- No sign shall be displayed in the Vieux Carré unless a permit has been applied for and issued in accordance with section 166-36 (Sec. 166-80).
- All applications for permits to display signs must be submitted to the Vieux Carré Commission for approval before a permit may be issued (Sec. 166-89).
- Application for a permit must include sketches and drawings showing construction and foundation details (when required), and delineate size, shape, design, coloring, lighting, and position relative to the building (Sec. 166-90).

## Full detail

Complete sign requirements for New Orleans, including every field PermitPal tracks for each sign type, are available with a free PermitPal account: https://app.permitpal.io/?address=New+Orleans+LA&override=true&utm_source=landing&utm_medium=city-page&utm_campaign=city-new-orleans

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