Baltimore County, MD Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Baltimore County Code § 21-9-105 requires a parade permit issued by the Director before a person may engage in, participate in, aid, form, or start a parade, defined under § 21-9-102(d) as a parade, march, or procession on any street, road, highway, or alley. The permit requirement doesn't reach funeral processions, students traveling to or from school under staff supervision, or a governmental agency acting within its own functions. Anyone who wants to march in the parade needs the permit holder's express permission if the holder requires advance registration, and that registration deadline can be set as early as 7 days before the parade date.

Vendors get a specific carve-out too: except for a business located inside an established building along the route, nobody may sell food or merchandise within 100 feet of the parade route on county-controlled property without the permit holder's express permission, though the holder may charge that vendor a nominal participation fee. Under § 21-9-107(c), the Director must find that the parade won't substantially interrupt other traffic, won't divert so many police officers or ambulances that it strips protection from the rest of the county, won't interfere with firefighting equipment en route to a fire, and isn't reasonably likely to cause injury, provoke disorderly conduct, or incite a disturbance before issuing the permit.

Applications generally need 60 days' lead time under § 21-9-106, and the applicant must describe the route, the streets and hours affected, and the expected number of participants and vendors.