Longview, TX Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Block parties
- Explicitly exempt from Chapter 79 permit
- General event permit
- 60-day advance filing with Building Official
- Other exceptions
- Nonprofit-only, permitted property, city-park events
- Penalty (non-exempt events)
- Up to $2,000 fine per day
- Governing section
- Sec. 79-10(c), Code of Ordinances
Summary
Longview's Chapter 79 outdoor-event permit, with its 60-day filing, site plan, and fee requirements, explicitly does not apply to neighborhood block parties or crime-watch meetings.
Sec. 79-10. Exceptions. The provisions of this article shall not apply to the following: (a) an event held in a location for which a certificate of occupancy has already been granted...; (b) non-profit organizations such as... churches... when the event... is conducted exclusively on property belonging to the non-profit entity; (c) neighborhood crime-watch meetings, or block parties;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: June 2026: This code is current through Ordinances 4635 passed 06.25.26).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 79's Article I outdoor-event permit is Longview's general vehicle for regulating festivals, carnivals, and other public gatherings: a 60-day advance application to the Building Official, a detailed site plan covering any street closures, security, sanitation, and a permit fee are required. Sec. 79-10 then lists exceptions to that permit, and subsection (c) names 'neighborhood crime-watch meetings, or block parties' outright, alongside already-inspected properties, nonprofit-only events, and approved city-park events. A resident organizing a standard block party on their own street is not required to file the Building Official application, pay the event fee, or meet the article's site-plan and reporting requirements that apply to larger promoted events.
Violations & Fines
No permit or fee applies to a genuine block party under this exception; violating the general outdoor-event permit requirement for larger events carries up to a $2,000 fine per day of violation under Sec. 79-11.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to host a block party in Longview?
What street-closure paperwork does a non-exempt Longview outdoor event need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Longview
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Longview to another location·View the Texas special events & permits overview
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