Fayette County, GA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Article III of Chapter 16 (Secs. 16-73 through 16-102) governs parades and assemblies, defined broadly as 'any march, ceremony, show, exhibition, pageant, public demonstration, public gathering or procession of any kind' on a street, park, or other public place. Section 16-94(a) requires anyone who wants to 'engage in, participate in, aid, form or start any parade or assembly' to first obtain a permit from the sheriff, with narrow exceptions for funeral processions, students traveling to or from school under staff supervision, and government agencies acting within their function.

Applications go to the sheriff on his prescribed form, must be filed 'not less than ten days, nor more than 30 days before the date' of the event (Sec. 16-95(b)), and must disclose the organizer, route, start and end points, expected crowd and vehicle count, and the hours the event will run (Sec. 16-95(c)). Fees follow Sec. 00 per hour for each police officer the sheriff assigns, though that fee does not apply to parades held outside the county's central traffic districts, and the sheriff may waive it on a written request attached to the application; an unanswered waiver request is deemed denied after five days.

The sheriff issues the permit only after finding, under Sec. 16-96, that the event will not unduly divert police or ambulance coverage, obstruct traffic or firefighting access, or create a likelihood of injury or disorder, and Sec. 16-102 lets the sheriff revoke a permit for failing those same standards. The permittee must carry the permit during the event under Sec. 16-74.