Downtown at Sundown on the courthouse lawn

Local essentials

Setting up after a move, staying safe in storm season, and where to turn for help, in one place.

Start the moving guide

Browse by topic

22 pages

Start here

Moving here→Utilities, licenses, schools and the numbers to keep SWLA Resources→Help with food, bills, rent and medical care Kids eat free→Where kids eat free or for less, night by night Weather→The weather now, the week ahead and any alerts Key contacts→The numbers to keep: utilities, city hall, the parish and more

Get set up

Utilities→Water, power and gas, and who serves your address Trash and recycling→Pickup days, bulk items and drop-off sites Driver's license and car tags→The 30-day rule and every OMV office Schools and enrollment→The permit, the papers and the online form Voting and local government→Registering, deadlines and who represents you Property tax and homestead→The exemption, the senior freeze and the bill

Stay safe

Hurricanes and emergencies→Alerts, evacuation, sandbags and after the storm Police, fire and non-emergency→Who to call when it isn't 911 Hospitals and health→Emergency rooms and the parish health unit

Everyday

Getting around→City buses, fares and the airport Library cards→Who qualifies and what a card gets you School, college and jobs→Universities, career training and the region's employers Recreation programs→Classes, leagues and centers you can rent Pets and animal services→The shelter, adoptions and strays Permits and reporting problems→Building permits, potholes and tall grass

Beyond Lake Charles

Sulphur→City utilities, trash, police and parks Jennings and other towns→Jennings, DeQuincy, Iowa and more

Missing something?

Tell us what you had to hunt for when you moved here, and we will add a page for it.

Know something we missed?

See a wrong number, an old deadline or a step we left out? Tell us. No account needed.