In New Orleans, it is a crime to charge people for a talking tour without first getting permission from the government.

City officials require every tour guide to pass a history exam, undergo a drug test and an FBI criminal background check every two years merely for speaking. People who give tours without a license face fines up to $300 per occurrence and five months in jail.

The First Amendment does not allow the government to be in the business of deciding who is—and who is not—allowed to speak about various topics. That is why four New Orleans tour guides have joined with the Institute for Justice in a federal lawsuit seeking to secure their free speech rights.

Vindicating this principle will help protect the rights of countless people across the country that speak for a living—whether they speak as news reporters, stand-up comedians or tour guides. This lawsuit was filed on December 13, 2011, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

online pharmacy viagraTalk of the Town: Challenging New Orleans’ Tour-Guide Licensing Scheme

(December 13, 2011)

Legal Briefs and Decisions

online pharmacy viagra IJ's Complaint (December 13, 2011) (PDF)

Case Timeline

Filed Lawsuit:

December 13, 2011

Court Filed:

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Decision(s):

none available

Current Court: U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

Status:

TBD Next Key Date:

TBD

Additional Releases

Maps, Charts and Facts

none available

Op-eds, News Articles and Links

(December 13, 2011) (December 12, 2011)