Clayton County, GA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Application deadline
- At least 60 days before the event
- Application fee
- $25.00, nonrefundable
- Permit decision window
- 30 working days
- Fee basis
- Actual cost of government services
- Post-event cleanup window
- 2 hours after event ends
Summary
A parade or march on any public street or right-of-way in unincorporated Clayton County is a 'special event' under Sec. 22-701 and needs a permit from the director of community development, filed at least 60 days ahead. Sec. 22-702 bars holding one without a valid permit and confines it to the approved route and time.
Special event: The term "special event" or "event" shall mean any organized activity having as its purpose entertainment, recreation and/or education, such as a festival or celebration, foot or vehicle race, parade or march, rally or assembly which takes place on a public street, sidewalk or right-of-way, or occurs on private or government property and impacts government services on public rights-of-way. Sec. 22-702. - Permits. (a)Required. It shall be unlawful for any person, group, organization, association, club or other entity to conduct or cause to be conducted any special event in unincorporated Clayton County without having obtained a valid permit for such event.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 104).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 22-701 defines a 'special event' to include any organized activity for entertainment, recreation or education such as a festival, foot or vehicle race, parade or march, or rally or assembly that takes place on a public street, sidewalk or right-of-way, or that occurs on private property but impacts government services on public rights-of-way. Sec. 22-702 makes it unlawful to conduct such an event in unincorporated Clayton County without a valid permit, limits the event to its approved geographic boundaries, and makes the producer responsible for police and sanitation service within those boundaries for two hours after the event ends or until the area is cleared.
No event may run past its approved time except for cleanup. 00 application fee under Sec. 22-703. The application must include a map at least 8½ by 11 inches showing the event's outer boundaries, or, for a walk or run, the exact course, under Sec. 22-702(d)-(e). The director circulates the application to affected county departments, which note the personnel, time and cost each will need under Sec. 22-705, and the county must issue or deny the permit within 30 working days of a complete filing under Sec.
22-707. The permit fee is billed as the aggregate estimated cost of the government services the event requires, due in full no later than 72 hours before the event under Sec. 22-709. Traffic and crowd control is handled by the Clayton County Police Department, whose chief sets the officer count under Sec. 22-714.
Violations & Fines
Holding a parade or march on a public street without a permit violates Sec. 22-702. Running past the approved end time or straying outside the approved route or boundaries violates the same section, and failing to pay the estimated service-cost fee within 30 days of billing violates Sec. 22-709(a). The chief of police may order an event activity stopped on the spot for safety, and a producer or participant who keeps it going after that order is in violation of Sec. 22-722.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead do I need to apply for a parade permit in Clayton County?
Who pays for police at a Clayton County parade?
Can the county stop a parade already underway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clayton County
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