Boca Raton, FL Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

City Code Chapter 13, Article V, Section 13-101 makes it unlawful to "initiate, sponsor, organize, promote, conduct or advertise a special event" anywhere in Boca Raton without first obtaining a city permit. Section 13-100(4) defines "special event" broadly to include festivals, carnivals, concerts, parades, athletic events, rallies, and similar gatherings that draw public attention and interfere with the normal flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic on a street, sidewalk, swale, alley, park, or other public place. The definition specifically excludes demonstrations conducted for First Amendment speech or assembly purposes, which are handled separately as their own defined term.

Organizers seeking to route a parade down a city street, close a sidewalk, or occupy a public right-of-way must apply for and receive the permit before advertising or conducting the event; the ordinance targets the person or entity behind the event, reaching anyone who "advertises" it even if someone else physically runs it. Section 13-102 layers on additional restrictions once a permit is issued, barring weapons, glass containers, spray paint, unauthorized balloons, and other listed items from the permitted event or any accompanying demonstration, with narrow exceptions for law enforcement, fire/rescue personnel, and disabled participants using mobility aids.