Berkeley County, SC Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Berkeley County Code of Ordinances Chapter 40, "Parades," requires a permit from the sheriff before anyone may engage in, participate in, aid, form or start a parade of 50 or more persons, per Section 40-16(a). The requirement exempts funeral processions, students traveling to school activities under staff supervision, and government agencies acting within their functions, per Section 40-16(b). Section 40-31 sets the filing window: an application must go to the sheriff not less than three days nor more than 30 days before the proposed parade date, though Section 40-31(b)/40-32(b) lets the sheriff consider a late filing for good cause.

Section 40-32 spells out the required contents: the organizer's and parade chairman's names and contact information, the date, route, starting and termination points, the approximate number of persons, animals and vehicles, the hours the parade will run, whether it will occupy all or part of a street's width, assembly locations and times, and spacing between units. The sheriff must act within two days of filing and, if denying the permit, must mail written reasons for the denial within two days under Section 40-33. Section 40-34 lists the standards for issuance: the parade cannot substantially disrupt traffic, cannot pull so many deputies from patrol that normal protection suffers, cannot interfere with fire response, and must move from start to finish without unreasonable delay or passing the same location twice.

m. A denied applicant can appeal to the chairman of county council within 48 hours of notice under Section 40-35, or accept an alternate date, time or route the sheriff offers under Section 40-37. Once issued, Section 40-38 requires the sheriff to notify the county supervisor, fire chief, EMS chief, 911 Communications and the Department of Transportation, and if the parade starts inside a municipality, that municipality issues the permit instead and notifies the sheriff.