Howard County, MD Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

304. 901(a) requires the organizer to obtain a permit from the Department of Police whenever the event needs a street closed or authorized County employees to redirect vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Applications go to the Department at least 60 calendar days, and no more than one year, before the event, must include the applicant's name, address, and phone number, the number of security personnel to be supplied, and must be signed under penalty of a false-statement charge; a separate application is required for each day of a multi-day parade.

904(a), and can deny it for reasons including inadequate security, unpaid debts to the County, or insufficient County traffic resources on that date. 905(c)(1) specifically directs the County to 'exempt an applicant for a parade or block party from paying a permit fee,' though the County can still charge for concerts and public assemblies. Permit holders must keep the route clean of debris, maintain a ten-foot emergency-vehicle lane where a street is closed, and reimburse the County for any damage to public property caused by the event.