Washington County, UT Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger headcount
- 75+ participants, staff, or spectators
- Minor parade fee
- $100, filed 30 days ahead
- Major parade fee
- $200, filed 60 days ahead
- Road closure
- Separate encroachment permit, no exceptions
- Unpermitted fine
- $1,000 civil fine + 2-year denial
Summary
A parade in unincorporated Washington County is a special event under county code: organizers of any parade drawing 75 or more people must get a special event permit before marching, with route plans and traffic-control plans due to the county in advance.
Special Event Permit Requirement: No person, entity, organization, business, or other establishment may permit, promote, advertise, organize, manage, sponsor, sell or give tickets, or operate a special event in the unincorporated County without a special event permit, unless an exception under section 3-3-4 of this chapter applies.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 3-3-2 names parades directly among the gatherings covered by the SPECIAL EVENT definition, so a parade that assembles seventy-five (75) or more people, counting organizers, staff, and spectators, must comply with section 3-3-3, which makes it unlawful for any person or entity to organize, manage, sponsor, or operate a special event in the unincorporated county without a permit unless a section 3-3-4 exception applies. A minor parade permit application costs $100 and is due at least 30 days before the event; a major parade (200 or more attendees, or one that needs a full or partial road closure) costs $200 and is due 60 days out, with a separate encroachment permit required for any road closure and no exceptions allowed for that piece.
C requires the applicant to submit a complete route plan showing legible maps of the parade route, staging, start, finish, and assembly areas, plus a traffic-control plan detailing how roads will be managed or closed. Free-speech marches are exempted from the permit unless a road closure is needed, public safety is threatened, or 200 or more participants are expected, in which case a major event permit still applies but only to regulate time, place, and manner.
Violations & Fines
An unpermitted parade can be shut down and dispersed by the sheriff's office. Section 3-3-12 imposes a $1,000 civil fine for holding a special event without a permit and denies the same applicant or event a permit for two years; violating the conditions of an issued permit costs $500 per day. Holding a major parade without a permit is a class B misdemeanor, and an unpermitted minor parade is a class C misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every neighborhood march need a county permit?
What if the parade needs to close a road?
Are protest marches treated the same as parades?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Utah special events & permits overview
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