Shawnee County, KS Special Events & Permits: Block Party Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Closure permission fee
- $75.00 (Sec. 26-23)
- Barricade application fee
- $150.00 (Sec. 26-24)
- Advance notice required
- at least one week
- Approving officials
- county engineer, then board
- Governs
- unincorporated Shawnee County roads only
Summary
Want to close a street in unincorporated Shawnee County for a block party? General Code Sec. 26-23 lets the county engineer grant the closure for a $75.00 fee, while Sec. 26-24's barricade policy requires a written request at least a week ahead and a separate $150.00 fee to erect traffic barricades.
Sec. 26-23. - Authority to close streets; closure fee. The board of county commissioners authorizes the director of public works/county engineer the authority to grant requests for permission to close designated street portions for the purpose of sponsoring block parties. Persons granted permission for such closure shall pay a fee of $75.00. Sec. 26-24. - Barricade policy. (b)Permission may be granted upon a written request submitted to the director of public works/county engineer at least one week before the time for which the closing of the public street or roadway and erection of traffic barricades is requested, and which is recommended by the director of public works for approval by the board of county commissioners.(c)Upon submission of any written request to the director of public works/county engineer, a fee of $150.00 shall be paid therewith.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 1).
Full Breakdown
' Sec. 00 fee, paid by the person granted the closure. The companion barricade provision, Sec. 26-24, covers the mechanics of putting up traffic control once a closure is approved: the board of county commissioners may authorize closing a public street or roadway in the unincorporated county and erecting traffic barricades, but the request has to be a written application submitted to the director of public works/county engineer 'at least one week before the time' of the requested closure, and the director must recommend it before the board approves.
Sec. 00 fee to be paid with that written application. 00 charge; both fees were set by resolution (Res. No. 00 fee and Res. No. 00 barricade fee) and remain the current amounts in the 2024-published county code. Neither section specifies a maximum closure duration or insurance requirement, leaving those terms to the county engineer's approval of the individual request.
Violations & Fines
Neither Sec. 26-23 nor Sec. 26-24 spells out a separate penalty schedule for closing a street without this permission; an unauthorized closure of a public road instead exposes the organizer to the general obstruction and traffic-control enforcement authority the county engineer and sheriff's office hold over county roads under Chapter 26, and the county can decline future closure requests from a repeat unpermitted organizer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get permission to close my street for a block party in unincorporated Shawnee County?
Is there more than one fee for a block party street closure?
Who provides the barricades for an approved block party?
Does this apply to streets inside the City of Topeka?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shawnee County
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