Skagit County, WA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $500.00 per event
- Trigger
- 100+ expected attendees at outdoor musical event
- Application lead time
- 90 days before the event
- Indemnity bond
- $25,000 cash or bond with County Treasurer
- Investigating agency
- Skagit County Sheriff investigates applicants
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine, 1 year in jail
Summary
Anyone hosting an outdoor concert, festival or assembly expected to draw 100 or more people in unincorporated Skagit County needs a county permit under SCC Chapter 9.08 before advertising or holding the event. Organizers apply to the Board of County Commissioners at least 90 days ahead, pay a $500 fee, and post a $25,000 indemnity bond with the County Treasurer.
No public amusement, entertainment or assembly may be held in Skagit County outside the limits of incorporated cities and towns unless the person or persons sponsoring said rock, music, band and/or youth festival shall first obtain a permit as hereinafter provided, and shall comply with all regulations herein provided and that the fee for such permit to meet the cost of administering the same shall be $500.00 for each event. ... Written application for amusement, entertainment or assembly permits shall be made to the Skagit County Board of County Commissioners and said application must be submitted ninety (90) or more days prior to the first day upon which said amusement, entertainment or assembly is to be or may be held. ... Any person who shall violate or fail to comply with any provision of this Chapter ... shall be deemed guilty of a gross misdemeanor and shall, upon conviction thereof, be fined in the sum of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or imprisoned in the County Jail for not more than one (1) year, or both.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9.08 (Outdoor Public Musical Entertainments, Amusements, and Assemblies) governs any outdoor gathering outside the incorporated cities and towns where live or recorded music is the primary draw and the organizer believes 100 or more persons will attend (SCC 9.08.010). No such event may be advertised or held without a county permit; the permit fee is $500 per event and no permit covers more than one day, nor may consecutive-day permits go to the same sponsor for the same event on the same site (SCC 9.08.020).
Written applications go to the Board of County Commissioners at least 90 days before the event, and the Board must act within 60 days; if a permit is denied, the applicant can appeal to Superior Court within 10 days (SCC 9.08.030). Before any permit issues, the applicant must post a $25,000 cash bond or surety with the County Treasurer to cover damage to roads, bridges and signs (SCC 9.08.050), and the Board must have written health-department approval covering water, toilets and food service, State Fire Marshal-approved fire protection, one traffic-control officer and one crowd-control officer per 100 attendees contracted through the Sheriff, adequate parking at one space per four attendees, and a site at least 1,000 yards from any school, church or residence (SCC 9.08.060). The Sheriff investigates each applicant's character and fitness, including fingerprints and photographs, before any permit is issued (SCC 9.08.070).
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of Chapter 9.08, or aiding or abetting a violation, is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, up to one year in the County Jail, or both, and triggers an automatic forfeiture of at least $1,000 of the indemnity bond (SCC 9.08.090). Noncompliance is also declared a public nuisance subject to civil and equitable remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a small backyard party in unincorporated Skagit County?
How far in advance must I apply for a Skagit County event permit?
What happens if the Board denies my permit application?
Where can this permit be held in unincorporated Skagit County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Skagit County
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