Aliso Viejo, CA Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Section 11.05.020 of the Aliso Viejo Municipal Code defines a block party as a festive gathering on a residential street for purposes such as barbecues, picnics, music or games that requires closing the street, or part of it, to vehicular traffic. The same section defines a special event to include any event, regardless of the number of people, that requires full or partial street closure on a public street, so a block party closing a through street starts in the permit system.

Section 11.05.040(B) carves out the cul-de-sac. The block party must conform to the other provisions of the code, 100 percent of the residents on the cul-de-sac must approve the street closure, and clearance for emergency vehicle access must be maintained. The code prints no form for collecting that approval, and the exception turns on the unanimity standard rather than a majority. Section 10.06.040(B) separately treats a cul-de-sac of 500 feet or less as the length at which the roadway ban on skateboards and similar conveyances stops applying.

A party on a residential property in a residential zone is exempt under section 11.05.040(A) as long as it conforms to the rest of the code. Noise is the usual limit: the exterior standards in Chapter 8.12 apply, and music or speech must meet the standard reduced by five dB(A). A street closure on any other street follows the permit process: a completed application at least 90 calendar days ahead under section 11.05.060, a decision within 10 working days, and no closure of an arterial street from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. or 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays under section 11.05.140. An applicant can appeal to the city council by the third working day after notice.