NEW ORLEANS — If your plans for New Year’s Eve or the start of 2026 include a trip to New Orleans, there are some guidelines and multiple restrictions that will be heavily enforced as numerous local, state and federal agencies are already in the Big Easy for added security. That includes searches, limitations on bags and proof of hotel reservations.
It comes on the heels of the deadly terrorist attack in the French Quarter on Jan. 1, 2025 and President Donald Trump’s proposal to activate a 1,000 national guardsmen in Louisiana. That conversation started in Sept. 2025 and now, the National Guard is in the French Quarter.
MORE: The faces of the victims from the terrorist attack
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division has said they too will be assisting Louisiana State Police (LSP) troopers, the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), Louisiana National Guard, and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in providing additional safety personnel to the French Quarter area during New Year’s Eve celebrations and the Sugar Bowl.
LDWF has deployed Special Operations Group agents and Maritime Special Response Team agents to work with the Louisiana State Police Mobile Field Force and the Louisiana State Police SWAT team in the French Quarter Enhanced Security Zone (FQESZ) from Dec. 30, 2025 to Jan. 2, 2026.
The FQESZ is from Canal St. to Ann St., between Royal St. and Dauphine streets, including Bourbon St.
The following guidelines are in place for the FQESZ:
• Backpack coolers and ice chests are prohibited.
• Bags larger than 4.5” x 6.5” (about the size of a clutch handbag) are discouraged and subject to search prior to entry.
• Vehicles are prohibited from entering the FQESZ except for emergency purposes.
• Visitors staying at hotels on Bourbon Street should use Royal Street or Dauphine Street entrances. If access is unavailable, visitors may enter at the nearest barrier or cross street with luggage. Proof of hotel reservation and identification is required.
• Anyone refusing a search will be denied entry into the FQESZ.
The restrictions for New Years’ Eve in New Orleans for drone pilots runs through the Sugar Bowl game. Drone pilots are suggested to check airspace restrictions and all applicable federal, state, and local regulations before flying. That’s because the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction for any unmanned aircraft systems in the New Orleans area from 2:00 p.m. on December 31, 2025, through 4:00 a.m. on January 1, 2026, and again from 6:00 p.m. through one hour after the conclusion of the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
The “See Something, Send Something” app is an effective way to share tips, photos, and information with law enforcement using a smart device. To download the app, search for “See Send” in the app store. Users can quickly submit information directly from their device. All tips are analyzed at the state fusion center and relayed to officers on the street.
Keep these seven signs of terrorism in mind:
• Surveillance
• Information gathering
• Testing security
• Acquiring supplies
• Suspicious behavior
• Dry run/trial run
• Deploying assets
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