To work as a paid tour guide in New Orleans, you need a tour guide license from the city’s Department of Safety and Permits, issued through the Ground Transportation Bureau. Getting one means passing a written exam, submitting a notarized application with a recent federal background check, and paying a $50 permit fee.1City of New Orleans. Tour Guide Permit The steps are straightforward, but a few details that circulate online are out of date.
Who Qualifies
The licensing rules sit in Chapter 30, Article XXI of the New Orleans Code of Ordinances. Anyone convicted of a felony within the five years before applying is barred from receiving a license.2Municode Library. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Chapter 30 – Article XXI – Division 3 – Tour Guide License The ordinance also addresses certain misdemeanor convictions involving dishonesty. Applicants should be at least 18.
Passing the Exam
First-time applicants have to pass a written test before anything else moves forward. The exam is scheduled when you submit your application to the Ground Transportation Bureau, and a passing score is 70%.3City of New Orleans. Ground Transportation Bureau – Driver and Tour Guide Requirements
Questions cover New Orleans history, geography, architecture, and the tour guide regulations themselves. Expect items on the city’s founding, French and Spanish colonial periods, the Louisiana Purchase, major landmarks, and architectural styles such as Creole cottages, shotgun houses, and Greek Revival. The regulatory questions touch on group size limits and tour curfews, so study the rules in this article along with the history.
Documents You’ll Need
Before the Bureau will process the application, pull together two things:
- A federal criminal history report performed by the Louisiana State Police or an FBI-approved channeler. Results have to go directly to the Bureau by mail or email, not through you, and the check must have been conducted within 90 days of your application date.1City of New Orleans. Tour Guide Permit3City of New Orleans. Ground Transportation Bureau – Driver and Tour Guide Requirements
- The completed application form from the city’s website, notarized before you send it in.3City of New Orleans. Ground Transportation Bureau – Driver and Tour Guide Requirements
Drug testing is not part of the tour guide process. The city’s permit page says so directly.1City of New Orleans. Tour Guide Permit Older guides and blog posts still list a drug screen, but that requirement applies to vehicle-for-hire drivers, not walking tour guides.
Submitting the Application
The Ground Transportation Bureau office is closed to walk-ins. All applications and supporting documents go to gtb@nola.gov.1City of New Orleans. Tour Guide Permit Scan the notarized form, attach it, and send everything by email.
The initial permit fee is $50.1City of New Orleans. Tour Guide Permit The city doesn’t list a separate charge for the background check, but the FBI-approved channeler you use will charge its own fee. Once the Bureau confirms your exam score, background check, and application, the Department of Safety and Permits issues a certificate and an identification badge.2Municode Library. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Chapter 30 – Article XXI – Division 3 – Tour Guide License
How Long the License Lasts and How to Renew
A tour guide license is valid for two years from the issue date. Renewal is simpler than the initial application: you don’t retake the exam, but you do submit a new background check and pay a $20 renewal fee.1City of New Orleans. Tour Guide Permit
The 90-day cliff matters. If your license has been lapsed more than 90 days, the city treats you as a brand-new applicant: full exam, fresh background check, and the $50 initial fee all over again.3City of New Orleans. Ground Transportation Bureau – Driver and Tour Guide Requirements A calendar reminder a few weeks ahead of expiration saves real hassle.
Rules You’ll Work Under
Holding the license means following the city’s operational rules every time you lead a group.
- Tour groups are capped at 28 patrons.4Municode Library. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Chapter 30 – Article XXI – Division 1 – General
- French Quarter tours must disband by 10:00 p.m. Garden District tours must wrap by 6:00 p.m.4Municode Library. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Chapter 30 – Article XXI – Division 1 – General
- Wear your identification badge at all times while conducting a tour, and display the name of the company employing you.4Municode Library. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Chapter 30 – Article XXI – Division 1 – General
- Keep tours at least 50 feet apart from other groups, and don’t solicit business on the street.
- Voice amplification devices aren’t allowed.
Working Without a License
Conducting paid tours without a valid license from the Department of Safety and Permits violates the municipal code.2Municode Library. New Orleans Code of Ordinances – Chapter 30 – Article XXI – Division 3 – Tour Guide License Violations carry fines of $300 per offense, and repeat offenders face up to five months in jail.
The same penalties apply once a license expires. There is no working grace period while you catch up on renewal; the day the license lapses, leading a paid tour is the same as never having been licensed.