French Quarter and parade-route towing in New Orleans

A blocked parking space and a street closed for a parade are different problems. NOLA Ready warns that parade routes and parts of the French Quarter close to vehicles as events and crowds require. If you need a private tow, give the independent business the block and nearest cross street before it agrees to the job. This referral site does not control access or enforce parking.

The two-hour parade window

NOLA Ready’s Mardi Gras guidance restricts parking along parade routes for two hours before and after parades. The city parking-rules page also identifies parking on the route within two hours before the start as towable. Check the actual route, signs and event notice rather than using a nearby parade’s timing.

Meter payment does not settle every restriction

Check for temporary no-parking notices as well as ordinary meter rules. City guidance lists special-event restrictions separately from meter payment. Also watch intersections and crosswalks: the city lists parking within 20 feet of an intersection, crosswalk or stop sign as towable, and parking adjacent to a neutral ground as towable.

French Quarter access changes with the event

Use the current NOLA Ready notice for the actual perimeter and closure times. The standing Mardi Gras page contains dated examples; do not use an old February date as this season’s schedule. Ask the business how lawful access will be coordinated if the pickup is inside a closure.

If the car has already been removed

Call the city towing line at 504-658-8100 to check for a city tow. Confirm the holding lot and release requirements before planning another move. A private referral business cannot cancel a citation, authorize entry through a closure or release a city-held vehicle.