Edmonds, WA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- Edmonds chief of police, ECC 8.08.010
- Application deadline
- At least 36 hours before the event
- Permit fee
- None, ECC 8.08.040
- Max civil fine
- $1,000 per violation for no permit
- Automatic exemptions
- Funeral processions and military parades
- Denial grounds
- Route conflict or blocking emergency services only
Summary
Edmonds requires a permit from the police chief before anyone parades, demonstrates, or pickets on a public street, per ECC 8.08.010. There's no application fee, but organizers must apply in writing at least 36 hours ahead with the route, timing, attendance estimate, and any vehicles involved. Funeral processions and military parades are exempt.
Except as provided in ECC 8.08.020, it shall be unlawful for any person to parade, demonstrate, or picket within, over or across any public street or right-of-way without first having obtained a parade permit from the chief of police. Failure to obtain a permit shall constitute a civil infraction and may be punishable up to a $1,000 fine for each violation. ... A permit shall not be required for funeral processions or parades of the military forces of the United States of America or of the state of Washington. ... No application or permit fee shall be required in order to obtain a parade permit. ... No permit shall be denied by the chief of police except upon the following grounds: A. The desired parade route conflicts with another parade for which a permit has already been issued; or B. The proposed route would unreasonably prevent or block the provision of emergency services within the city of Edmonds or would unduly disturb the convenience of the public in the use of the public streets and sidewalks.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 4444, passed August 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
08 requires anyone who wants to parade, demonstrate, or picket within, over, or across a public street or right-of-way in Edmonds to first obtain a parade permit from the chief of police. 010. 040 bars the city from charging any application or permit fee. 030, disclosing the applicant's identity and a responsible contact's address and phone number, the requested route, the date and time, an estimated attendance and parade length, how long it will take to pass a given point on the route, and a description of any motor vehicles used.
050. 060: the requested route conflicts with a parade already permitted, or the route would unreasonably block emergency services or unduly disturb public use of the streets and sidewalks. If denied, the chief must work with the applicant to find another suitable date, time, or route. The code explicitly bars using the permit requirement to suppress free speech and states it is the city's policy to permit, encourage, and promote lawful free speech regardless of content. 020.
Violations & Fines
Parading, demonstrating, or picketing on a public street without first securing a permit from the police chief is a civil infraction under ECC 8.08.010, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 for each violation. The permit itself carries no fee, so the exposure comes from skipping the application, not from any cost of compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does it cost anything to get a parade permit in Edmonds?
On what grounds can Edmonds deny my parade permit?
Do I need a permit for a funeral procession or a military parade?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Edmonds
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Parade Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle parade permits.