Catoosa County, GA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Section 10-176 defines a 'special event' broadly enough to cover a parade or march, along with festivals, foot or vehicle races, rallies, and assemblies that take place on a public street, sidewalk, or right-of-way. Section 10-177(a) makes it unlawful to conduct such an event in unincorporated Catoosa County without first getting a permit from the director, defined in Section 10-176 as the county manager or a designee. The producer must file at the director's office at least 60 days before the event, though the county will not accept an application more than a year out, and must pay a nonrefundable $50.00 application fee by cash, money order, or cashier's check.

Under Section 10-180, the director circulates the application to every county department the event would affect, and each department reports the personnel, time, and cost its services would require. The director then has up to 30 working days to issue or deny the permit under Section 10-182, and must give written reasons for a denial if the producer asks. Section 10-179 requires that the permit be issued to one individually responsible person even when a group or organization is the actual producer, and Section 10-197 separately requires anyone picketing, demonstrating, or marching under First Amendment protection to apply the same way, though that category is exempted from the permit fee and from the underlying permit requirement itself. A parade producer is also responsible, under Section 10-177(b), for policing and cleanup within the event boundaries for two hours after it ends.