Jackson Square Artists Face Permit Deadline

NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans is reminding all current permit holders to renew their permits for selling art on Jackson Square in the French Quarter before the approaching deadline on Tuesday, Jan. 31.

         Artists who sell art on or around Jackson Square are required to obtain an Occupational License and Mayoralty Permit from the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Revenue. Eligible permits are either Artist A permits to sell art on and in the vicinity of Jackson Square or Artist B permits to sell art only in the vicinity of Jackson Square, Pirates Alley, but not in Jackson Square itself. The deadline for all current permit holders to renew is Jan. 31.

         All permit holders who wish to renew must apply in person, present a valid photo ID and be prepared to pay $175.25 in the form of a certified check or money order payable to the City of New Orleans. For applicants over the age of 65, the fee is $25.25. The Department of Finance’s Bureau of Revenue is located at City Hall, 1300 Perdido St., Room 1W15, in New Orleans.

         All permit holders who fail to renew their existing permit on or before Jan. 31, will be required to re-apply as a new applicant.

         A maximum of 200 Artist A permits may be issued according to city code; there is no limit for Artist B permits.

         Once all renewals have been completed, the remaining Artist A permit slots will be included in a lottery. If necessary, the Bureau of Revenue will conduct the public lottery for new Artist A permits at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 11, in the Bureau of Revenue lobby, Room 1W15 on the first floor of City Hall. Applicants must be present during the lottery, possess a valid photo ID and be prepared to pay $175.25 in the form of a certified check or money order payable to the City of New Orleans to obtain their permit. For applicants over the age of 65, the fee is $25.25.

         In the event the lottery is necessary, qualified applicants seeking a Jackson Square permit must apply in person between 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. on, March 1- 3, and March 6-7, at the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Revenue located in City Hall at 1300 Perdido St., Room 1W15. Qualified applicants are defined as persons who either have a current Pirates Alley (Artist B) permit or have an application for a new Jackson Square (Artist A) permit currently on file.

         All applicants must present a valid photo ID. Pirates Alley permit holders who seek to upgrade to a Jackson Square permit must also present their current Artist B permit.

         For more information, contact the Department of Finance's Bureau of Revenue, Application Unit, at (504) 658-1600, (504) 658-1694 and (504) 658-1678.