Knox County, TN Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)

Section 62-60 gives the Department of Engineering and Public Works authority to close temporarily any roadway to vehicular or foot traffic, or to divert traffic from it, whenever the department deems the closure necessary for public safety or convenience. The same section then restricts everyone else: except during emergencies, closures undertaken by other persons or agencies are barred without prior written approval from the department. That means a resident or homeowners' association wanting to close a street for a block party must apply to the department and receive written sign-off before barricading the road; the code text does not specify a separate fee schedule, application form, or advance-notice period for that approval, so applicants should contact the department directly for its current process.

A related tool sits at Sec. 62-61, which lets the department declare any roadway or part of one a "play street" and post signs to help protect it, useful where a neighborhood wants a recurring closure rather than a one-time event. Enforcement of an unauthorized closure runs through the general traffic-control authority: Sec. 62-82 makes it unlawful to disobey the lawful direction of a county engineering official, and detour or barricade tampering is separately addressed at Sec. 62-133, which bars tearing down a detour sign or driving around a barricade erected to close a section of street.