Pontiac, MI Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Pontiac's Zoning Ordinance treats any event expected to draw fewer than 200 people as a minor temporary use, and Section 2.542(E) sets out how to get one approved. The application goes to the Planning Division at least 60 days before the event and must identify the property owner and operator, the event's sponsor, its name, location, and dates including setup and teardown time. Applicants must also submit approval letters from the Oakland County Health Department, the Building Department, the Sheriff's Department, Emergency Medical Services, and the Waterford Regional Fire Department, plus a nonrefundable fee set by the City's fee schedule.

Subsection E.2 requires a sketch drawing of the site showing tents, signs, booths, canopies, tables, portable toilets, rides, parking arrangements, nearby streets, and, where relevant, street closures and the location of barricades, since a block party often needs a lane or block shut to traffic. The Planning Division decides in its own discretion whether the sketch plan also needs Planning Commission approval. Subsection E.3 requires a $500 cash deposit for cleanup and sign removal, due 48 hours before the event and refunded within two weeks after the appropriate authority signs off.

The applicant is also responsible for reimbursing the Sheriff's Department for any expenses it incurs policing the event under subsection E.4, though subsection E.5 waives all fees and deposits for garage, yard, and estate sales on single-family residential property. It is unlawful under subsection C to hold any temporary use, minor or major, without a permit issued first.