To look up a code enforcement case in New Orleans, search the address in the City’s One Stop App, which finds existing violations by address, owner name or case number (Report Blight page). Blight cases are minimum property maintenance cases, and their numbers end in MPM. The City also publishes every case, hearing and cited violation as open data: Code Enforcement All Cases, All Hearings and All Violations.
We followed the 2,965 MPM cases filed in 2024 through October 24, 2026. The first inspection found a violation in 75.7% of them. Of those 2,244 violation cases, 57.8% drew at least one guilty judgment, 39.9% had the judgment recorded against the property, and 57.3% were still open. The first hearing came a median of 233 days after the case was filed.
| Item | What we found |
|---|---|
| Where to search | One Stop App (address, owner name or case number); 311 for complaint status; hearing information at (504) 658-5050 |
| Cases in our sample | 2,965 MPM cases filed in 2024 |
| First inspection result | Violation 75.7%, no violation 13.8%, no result recorded 9.5% |
| Filing to first inspection | Median 5 days; 75% within 43 days (City target: 30 days on average) |
| Hearing held | 67.0% of violation cases; median 233 days from filing to the first hearing |
| Guilty at least once | 57.8% of violation cases |
| Judgment recorded | 39.9% of violation cases; median 41 days after the first guilty hearing |
| Still open in October 2026 | 57.3% of violation cases |
How to look up a New Orleans code enforcement case by address
- Open the One Stop App and search the street address. Double units are often filed under a range, such as 7123-7125, so try the range if the single number returns nothing.
- Open any case whose number ends in MPM. Note the filing date, the first inspection result and the current stage.
- Read the hearing history. A case can have several hearings, and the latest result is the one in force.
- For an upcoming hearing, check the Code Enforcement hearing calendar or call (504) 658-5050.
- To see what was cited, filter the All Violations dataset by case number. Each row gives the violation and a plain-language description of the owner’s duty.
- If a judgment was recorded, ask Code Enforcement for a lien payoff before you buy or refinance.
What the stage and hearing result fields mean in a New Orleans case
Every case moves through numbered stages that follow the City’s blight process. Here is where the 2024 cases stood in October 2026:
- 1 – Inspection (14 cases): an inspector has the case. The City targets an average of 30 days from complaint to inspection.
- 2 – Title Research (379): violations were documented and the Hearings Bureau is identifying every owner and party with an interest in the property, so notices reach them.
- 3 – Hearing (75): a hearing is set 30 to 45 days after the compliance period in the Notice of Noncompliance ends. Notices go by regular and certified mail, and the address, case number and hearing time are published in the Times-Picayune.
- 4 – Judgment (1,188): a hearing officer ruled. Results read Guilty or Guilty: Abated, or Dismissed with a reason such as Abated, New Owner or Insufficient Notice.
- 6 – Case Closed (1,200), plus 109 marked X – Processing for review.
A Reset result means the hearing was continued to a later date, most often for work in progress (314 resets in 2024 cases) or because the property had not been reinspected (140).
What happened to the 2,244 New Orleans cases with a violation
| Where the case stands | Cases | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Latest hearing result: Guilty | 932 | 41.5% |
| Latest hearing result: Guilty: Abated | 240 | 10.7% |
| Dismissed: Abated | 113 | 5.0% |
| Dismissed for another reason (notice, evidence, owner, location) | 163 | 7.3% |
| Reset or result pending | 56 | 2.5% |
| No hearing yet; case closed | 315 | 14.0% |
| No hearing yet; still in title research | 379 | 16.9% |
| No hearing yet; other stage | 46 | 2.1% |
Hearings often repeat: 639 of the 1,504 cases that reached a hearing (42.5%) had more than one. A guilty judgment was recorded in 896 cases, a median of 41 days after the first guilty hearing, with the middle half between 39 and 48 days. That timing fits the City’s rule that a judgment left unappealed, unremediated and unpaid is filed with the recorder of mortgages 30 days after the hearing, where it becomes a lien on the property.
Which violations New Orleans cited most in 2024 cases
The 2,171 violation cases with cited items listed a median of 5 violations each. Most concern the outside of the building and the lot, which inspectors judge from the street:
- Weeds and plant growth: 62.7% of cases
- Sanitation: 57.1%
- Rodent harborage: 46.9%
- Exterior surfaces: 45.0%, and paint or protective treatment: 43.0%
- Roofs: 26.8%
- Windows: 24.5%
Permit activity after a case is thinner. At least 349 of the 2,965 cases (11.8%) show a permit application filed within 12 months after the case opened. The case data keeps only the latest permit on the property, so the true share can be higher.
Fines, liens and what an owner can do after a guilty judgment
- Hearing costs can be charged even when the owner corrected the violations before the hearing (blight process).
- The City’s One Stop adjudication page says hearing officers can levy fines of up to $500 a day until violations are corrected. Confirm the amount in your own judgment with Code Enforcement at (504) 658-5050.
- Within 30 days after the hearing, email clear photos of the front, back and sides of the property, plus any permits or certificates of completion or occupancy, to CEpayoff@nola.gov with the property address in the subject line (Comply with a Guilty Judgment).
- Fines are paid by cashier’s check or money order, in person or by mail to 1340 Poydras Street, Suite 1100, New Orleans, LA 70112.
- Once a lien sits on the property tax bill, a Lien Reduction Request can lower the fines when the property is fully compliant or will be renovated within 180 days.
- After a recorded judgment the City can clear the lot, foreclose on the lien through a sheriff’s sale, or demolish the building, and one property can go through more than one of these.
Checklist before you buy or rent in New Orleans
- One Stop search on the exact address and on any address range for the building.
- Every MPM case: stage, latest hearing result, and open or closed.
- A recorded judgment: lien payoff amount from Code Enforcement before closing.
- An open case in Title Research or Hearing: copies of any Notice of Noncompliance or Notice of Hearing from the seller.
- Permits pulled after the case, matched to the cited items such as the roof, windows or exterior walls.
- Zoning or use questions: our guides to New Orleans zoning determinations and no-work CO and change-of-use records.
For other cities, our code violation lookup guide compares Chicago, NYC, Austin and Seattle, and our property lien search guide explains how violations turn into liens. More analyses are on our permit data page.
Counts are our calculations from the City of New Orleans Code Enforcement All Cases, All Hearings and All Violations data on data.nola.gov, downloaded October 25, 2026 (updated October 24, 2026). City pages checked October 25, 2026.