Santa Barbara County, CA Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Block parties fall into fee Category B, which covers events needing road closures, emergency-services assistance, a traffic control plan, or public notification. Organizers must file with Public Works at least 30 days before the event; the department will approve or deny within five days and issue an estimated fee at the same time, which must be paid in full before the permit is processed. Standard conditions cover the time, place, manner, and duration of the closure, and the department can add or change conditions after issuance, with the organizer bearing any resulting cost.

Permittees must carry general liability, automobile liability, and at least one million dollars in property damage insurance naming the County of Santa Barbara as additional insured, and must sign an indemnification agreement, both no less than two weeks before the event. The department may also require a refundable deposit to cover restoring the right-of-way; failing to restore it within ten days of a notice of infringement forfeits the deposit in whole or in part. A permit is not required for funeral processions, government agencies acting within their authority, or parades of forty or fewer participants that stay on pedestrian facilities and obey traffic laws.