Bayonne, NJ Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

City Code § 4-31.1 defines a block party as an event sponsored by a nonprofit block association registered with the Clerk of the City of Bayonne, organized to stimulate civic pride, involving closure of a single block or a portion of it for a single day. Section 4-31.3a's special restrictions bar the format from being used for private affairs such as family reunions, birthday parties or weddings, and expressly forbid selling food, goods or beverages, alcoholic or otherwise, at the event. Each block association may apply for no more than two block parties per year, and every one must run between 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. on a Saturday or Sunday, and only during the months of May through October.

Applications go to the Director of Public Safety at least 30 days before the date under § 4-31.4a, a shorter window than the 60- or 90-day deadlines that apply to festivals, carnivals or parades. The fee is $50 per day under § 4-31.4c, well below the $200-per-day rate charged for most other public assemblies. Applicants must still carry $1,000,000 in general liability insurance naming the City of Bayonne as an additional insured and post a $1,000 cash bond to cover street, sewer, tree or property damage and cleanup, refunded once the licensing authority certifies compliance.

If a temporary structure larger than 900 square feet goes up for the party, it needs its own permit with building plans and a pre-use inspection by the Director of Public Safety.