Clay County, FL Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Clay County's Event Permit article (chapter 12, article X) defines an 'event' as any gathering in the unincorporated area that will draw 500 or more people, involve a road closure, or include alcohol consumption on county-owned property (Sec. 12-181). A road closure alone triggers the permit, so a neighborhood block party that blocks a county street needs an event permit under Sec. 12-182 even if attendance stays under 500. The application goes to the Event Coordination Committee (ECC), a panel drawn from the sheriff's office, public safety, planning and zoning, and public works, and it must be filed at least 90 days before the event under Sec.

12-183; a late application is rejected unless the county manager expressly authorizes an exception. Once a permit is approved, Sec. 12-193(13) governs the closure itself: the county, not the applicant, holds full authority to close or detour any county street, and the applicant must submit a plan detailing the proposed closure. Barricades and temporary signage are the applicant's responsibility subject to county approval, though the county can supply that equipment for a fee set by its own schedule, and setup and breakdown times are fixed at the event planning meeting held within 30 days of the application under Sec.

12-188. If the block party would touch a state road, the applicant must separately obtain a temporary road-closing permit from the Florida Department of Transportation; if it would touch a road inside a municipality, the applicant must get that municipality's permission instead, since this article reaches only the unincorporated area.