Car Towed During a New Orleans Parade? Where to Look, in Order

If your car is gone after a New Orleans parade, call the city's parking enforcement line at (504) 658-8100. The city says it's answered 24 hours. Give your plate number. If the city towed it, you pay at the lot at 400 N. Claiborne Ave. If the city has no record, check the lot you parked in, then report the car stolen to NOPD.

Is my car really gone, or am I on the wrong block?

Parade nights scramble a neighborhood. You parked in daylight on a quiet Uptown side street. Now it's dark, the crowd is thick, and every corner has a barricade. Streets you knew look different.

Before you call anyone, take two minutes:

• Check your phone for a photo or a saved map pin from when you parked.
• Walk one block each way. Side streets off St. Charles and Napoleon look alike at night.
• Look at the curb. A posted sign with a time on it means the block had a parade rule.
• Look for a yellow bag over the meter. That's a special event spot, and the city lists it as a violation.

If you still can't find it, move on to the phone calls below. If you feel unsafe where you're standing, call 911 first.

What parade rules get cars towed in New Orleans?

The city's parking rules list parade route parking as a violation starting two hours before the parade. On the NOLA Ready Mardi Gras page, the ban runs two hours before and two hours after, so crews can clean the street. The city also says that during special events, cars may be towed.

Some rules catch people who think they parked well away from the route:

• Endymion runs all day. The city's last posted list banned parking on streets like Canal Street and Orleans Avenue from 6 a.m. until two hours after the parade.
• French Quarter cross streets. The last list put parking limits on the 700 and 800 blocks of St. Ann, Orleans, St. Peter, Toulouse, St. Louis, Conti, Bienville and Iberville, from noon to 6 a.m.
• Cargo vans. Box trucks, cargo vans and trailers can't park on public streets within two blocks of a route, four hours before and after each parade.
• Trails. Don't park on or block the Lafitte Greenway or the Jefferson Davis Trail.
• Wrong side of the street. On a two-way street, your right wheels go to the curb.
• A blocked street is still a street. The fire department says not to park at an intersection or in the street, even if the parade has that street closed.

Uptown, the streets that may lose parking include St. Charles Avenue from Napoleon to Canal, Napoleon Avenue from Tchoupitoulas to S. Claiborne, and Magazine Street from Napoleon to Upperline. Which ones apply depends on the route that night. The posted sign on your block is the final word.

Isn't parking free on Mardi Gras Day?

The city's parking FAQ lists Mardi Gras among the holidays when parking violations aren't enforced. Don't treat that as a free pass on a route. The same page lists parade route parking as a violation. The city also says it may tow right away for public safety.

Who do I call first when my car is missing?

Call the Department of Public Works parking line at (504) 658-8100. The city's Mardi Gras page says it's answered 24 hours, which helps on a night when everything else is closed. Have these ready:

• Your license plate number
• The make, model and color
• The block where you parked, with the nearest cross street

Ask two questions. Did the city tow it? Is it still at the North Claiborne lot? Then ask for the fee total on your plate, or call (504) 658-8284 for that.

What if I paid to park in a church or business lot?

The city requires a Parking Lot Event permit to charge people to park on a property during Mardi Gras. Only land zoned commercial, or used by a non-residential owner like a church or school, can get one.

If you parked in a lot, the city tow line may have no record. A private lot handles its own tows. Go back and look for a posted sign with a tow company name and number, or ask the attendant. Keep your parking receipt.

If you have a problem with a private tow or storage yard, the Louisiana State Police Towing and Recovery Unit takes complaints. Call 225-925-6113.

What if nobody has my car?

If the city and the lot owner both come up empty, report it stolen. NOPD's online report system doesn't take auto theft. Call the non-emergency line at (504) 821-2222 instead.

NOPD uses a sworn Auto Theft Affidavit, Form 208. It asks for your VIN, when you last saw the car, where the keys are, and your insurance and loan details. You sign it in front of an officer. If you mail it instead, it must be notarized and delivered within seven days. Filing a false report is a felony, so be sure the city doesn't have it first.

How do I get to the tow lot during Carnival?

The city lot is at 400 N. Claiborne Ave., right under the I-10 expressway at Conti Street. The city lists it as open 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week. You pay in person there, including every unpaid parking and camera ticket on the plate.

Getting there on a parade night takes planning:

• Streets close. NOPD closes routes to cars before parades and adds short closures as floats move.
• Buses detour. RTA detours start two hours before a parade and stay until cleanup ends.
• The Quarter is limited. During the busiest stretch, only residents, workers, hotel guests, taxis and rideshare cars can drive inside Iberville, Decatur, Dumaine and Rampart.

A taxi or rideshare drop off on the Claiborne side of the lot keeps you clear of the Quarter's limits. If you arrive after 10 p.m., you'll likely have to come back in the morning.

Why should I go the same day?

Two reasons: storage and distance. The city charges a storage fee for each day. And a car held more than 24 hours may be moved to the city's auto impound lot at 10200 Almonaster Ave., out in New Orleans East.

That lot is listed for weekdays only, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. You still pay at North Claiborne first, then pick up on Almonaster. A car moved there on a Saturday may sit until Monday. Get to Claiborne before that happens.

Can I fight a parade day tow?

For questions about ticket or tow appeal hearings, the city lists (504) 658-8250. You can contest a parking ticket online, by mail or in person, but not by phone. Have the citation number and your plate or VIN. Do it by the date printed on the ticket. If you're found liable, you owe the original amount.

Take photos before you leave the block: the sign, the curb, and where your car sat. Photos help if you decide to contest.

My car won't start after the lot. Now what?

Sentinel doesn't do impounds, releases or private-property tows. You settle the tickets and fees with the city first. After that, a car that sat outside for days may have a weak battery.

• It clicks but won't crank: try a jump start before you assume the worst.
• It won't run, or a wheel is damaged: set up a car tow home or to a shop once the car is released.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network. A vetted local partner tow company does the job. We text you a locked price before anyone is sent, then check on you by text until your driver arrives. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. For interstate breakdowns, flood season and the river bridge, see our New Orleans towing page.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Parade Day Towing Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: NOLA Ready Mardi Gras parking, Parking Rules and Regulations, Find My Towed Vehicle, Towing Rules and Fees, Event Parking Lot permit, File a Police Report, Auto Theft Affidavit, Contest a Parking Ticket, Louisiana State Police Towing and Recovery Unit, NOFD parade safety tips.