Long Beach's Special Events & Permits: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles special events & permits a little differently. In Long Beach, California, there are 7 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Park Event Permits

Long Beach requires a City Manager permit before any organized gathering of 75 or more people assembles at a public park, place, or facility. Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.60.020(A) bars conducting a special event on city streets, parks, piers, or property without a written permit, and § 5.60.010(H)(2) sets the 75-person threshold.

Key details: Permit trigger: 75+ person assemblage at a public place. Filing deadline: 60 calendar days (10 working days for block parties). Appeal window: 10 business days to City Council. Penalty: Misdemeanor for intentional violation. Fee waiver: Available for indigent applicants.

Intentionally violating any provision of Chapter 5.60, including holding an unpermitted 75-person-plus assemblage at a park or public facility, or breaching the conditions of an issued permit, is a misdemeanor under § 5.60.110. Separately, obstructing, impeding, or interfering with an authorized assembly or permitted special event is independently unlawful under § 5.60.100.

Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way

Commercial filming is carved out of Long Beach's special event permit scheme entirely. Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.60.030(A)(4) exempts "filming activities governed by Chapter 5.61" from the special event permit requirement, so a movie or TV shoot on city property follows the separate Filming Activities chapter instead.

Key details: Filming exemption: § 5.60.030(A)(4): filming governed by Ch. 5.61 instead. Filming permit lead time: 3 working days, § 5.61.030(A). Interference penalty: Up to $1,000/6 months or $250 infraction, § 5.61.095.5. Governing chapter: LBMC Chapter 5.61, Filming Activities.

Treating a commercial film shoot as covered, or exempt from any permit, under Chapter 5.60 is a misdemeanor for intentional violation of that chapter under § 5.60.110; the correct filming permit is required separately under Chapter 5.61. Interfering with either a permitted special event or a permitted filming activity is punishable under § 5.61.095.5 by up to $1,000 or six months in jail, or a $250 infraction fine, per day.

The rules around commercial filming on public right-of-way in Long Beach lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Parade Permits

Long Beach requires a written permit from the City Manager before anyone holds a parade, demonstration, or other special event on city streets, sidewalks, parks, or piers. Municipal Code Section 5.60.020 covers formations of any size and gatherings of 75 or more people.

Key details: Permit issuer: City Manager, 5.60.020. Application window: 60 days to 1 year ahead. Triggers permit: 75+ person gathering or parade. Decision deadline: 30 days after complete application. Penalty: Misdemeanor, 5.60.110.

Conducting a special event without the required permit, or obstructing a permitted one, violates Chapter 5.60. Section 5.60.110 makes any intentional violation of the chapter a misdemeanor, and Section 5.60.100 separately bars anyone from obstructing, impeding, or interfering with an authorized event once its permit has issued.

This is one of the stricter rules in Long Beach's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

Block Party Permits

Block parties in Long Beach need a special event permit like any other street event, but Municipal Code Section 5.60.040 gives them their own shorter 10-working-day filing deadline and requires signatures from two-thirds of the affected block's households before the City Manager will issue one.

Key details: Filing deadline: 10 working days before event. Petition threshold: 66% of block's households. Governing section: LBMC § 5.60.040(B), (I)(12). Decision timeline: 30 days after complete application. Penalty: Misdemeanor, 5.60.110.

Holding a block party without the permit, or without meeting the 66% household petition requirement, means the City Manager cannot lawfully issue one under Section 5.60.040(I)(12), and proceeding anyway is an intentional violation of Chapter 5.60 punishable as a misdemeanor under Section 5.60.110.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Long Beach actively enforces its block party permits requirements.

Sidewalk Dining & Cafés

Restaurants that want to seat diners on a Long Beach public sidewalk need a Public Walkway Occupancy Permit from the Department of Public Works. Municipal Code § 14.14.045 bars occupying any part of the public walkway for dining or entertainment "except as permitted by this Chapter," with design and noise standards layered on top of the base permit in § 14.14.020.

Key details: Permit issuer: Department of Public Works. Min. remaining walkway width: 10 ft, with 5 ft clear. Barrier height cap: 48 inches. Permit term: 1 year, renewable. Governing manual: Sidewalk Dining and Parklets Handbook.

Occupying a Long Beach public sidewalk with dining furniture without a § 14.14.020 permit is itself a violation, and an existing permit can be suspended or canceled at the discretion of the Director of Public Works if the obstruction interferes with street work, cleaning, or public safety, or by the City Engineer or Fire Marshal on a safety finding (§ 14.14.020(C)). Repeated noise complaints logged against a sidewalk dining permit are separate grounds for suspension, cancellation or nonrenewal under § 14.14.045(D).

Street Fair Rules

Street fairs and festivals are expressly listed as "Special Events" under Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.60.010(H)(3), so organizers need a City Manager permit under Chapter 5.60, and any vendor selling food, beverages, or goods at the fair must hold the business licenses or permits required elsewhere in the Code under § 5.60.020(D)(14).

Key details: Street fairs classified as: Special Events under § 5.60.010(H)(3). Vendor requirement: Business license/permit for goods sold, § 5.60.020(D)(14). Cleaning deposit: Required for food/beverage/goods sales, D.6. Filing deadline: 60 calendar days before the event. Penalty: Misdemeanor for intentional violation, § 5.60.110.

Running a street fair or festival, or vending at one, without the required Chapter 5.60 special event permit and the business licenses conditioned on it, is a misdemeanor for intentional violations under § 5.60.110. The City Manager can also revoke an already-issued permit under § 5.60.060(A)(15) if a vendor cannot meet applicable licensure requirements.

Parklets

Long Beach requires a written Public Works permit for any parklet occupying the public walkway or right-of-way, escalating to a City Council permit if the parklet exceeds ten percent of nearby parking spaces, faces opposition, or serves uses beyond dining and seating. Parklets are barred on streets faster than 25 mph absent traffic calming.

Key details: Base permit authority: Department of Public Works, § 14.15.020(A). City Council review trigger: >10% of nearby parking spaces used. Speed limit ceiling: 25 mph without traffic calming. Coastal zone: Requires separate Local Coastal Permit. Compliance deadline after Council OK: 180 days.

Occupying the right-of-way with a parklet without the required permit, or exceeding permit conditions such as the 25 mph speed threshold or the ten-percent parking-space cap without escalating to City Council review, exposes the applicant to permit suspension or cancellation by the Director of Public Works, and unresolved City Council conditions that go unmet within 180 days void the underlying approval.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Long Beach actively enforces its parklets requirements.

The Bottom Line

Long Beach is tougher than many cities when it comes to special events & permits. Out of the 7 rules covered here, 3 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Long Beach, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

Keep in mind that Long Beach can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.