Fontana, CA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- 50 or more individuals on a public street, sidewalk or place
- Standard filing deadline
- 14 calendar days before the event
- Deadline if a street closes
- 90 calendar days before the event
- Route and entry caps
- One and one-half miles and 150 official entries
- City decision deadline
- 14 calendar days after the application is filed
- Appeal deadline
- 2 calendar days after notice, filed with the City Clerk
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor: fine up to $500.00, up to six months, or both
Summary
Fontana requires a City Manager permit for any public meeting, assembly, rally, demonstration or parade of 50 or more people on a public street, sidewalk or other public place. Apply at least 14 calendar days ahead, or 90 calendar days ahead if a street must close. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, up to six months in jail, or both.
No person shall conduct a public meeting, assembly, rally, demonstration or parade consisting of 50 or more individuals in or upon a public street, sidewalk, or other public place within the city ... no fewer than 14 calendar days in advance of the proposed public meeting, assembly, rally, demonstration or parade; provided, however, that ... no fewer than 90 calendar days in advance of the proposed public meeting, assembly, rally, demonstration or parade if said event requires the closure of any public street within the city. ... Events qualifying under the definition of a parade, demonstration or rally shall be limited to a route distance of one and one-half miles. ... Official entries for such events, i.e., floats, marching bands, VIP vehicles, equestrians, etc., shall not exceed 150 units. ... Within 14 calendar days after the filing of the permit application the city manager shall issue or deny the permit ... shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not more than $500.00 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 17).
Full Breakdown
Fontana Municipal Code § 17-5 bars anyone from conducting, or taking part in, a public meeting, assembly, rally, demonstration or parade of 50 or more individuals on a public street, sidewalk or other public place until a permit is in hand. The code defines a parade as any planned or spontaneous march or procession of persons, animals or vehicles, so an unplanned march counts. The City Manager or a designee issues the permit.
Applications go to the City Manager on the special event application form at least 14 calendar days before the event. An event on a public street that requires closing any street must apply at least 90 calendar days ahead. An application is complete only when every required item and the security have been delivered. Required items include the route and detour routes, assembly and disbanding areas, estimated participants, vehicles and animals, the number in each marching unit, sound equipment, parking, electrical equipment, and dimensioned plans with anchoring details for any booth or stage.
Every permit carries an agreement to defend and indemnify the City, and the sponsor is liable for all city departmental service charges. The sponsor posts cash, a surety bond or a letter of credit in an amount the City Council sets by resolution, and reimburses the actual repair or replacement cost of any city property destroyed or damaged. Service charges exclude the cost of protecting the permittee and the public from any hostile response to the event.
Parades, demonstrations and rallies are capped at a route distance of one and one-half miles and 150 official entries, such as floats, marching bands, VIP vehicles and equestrians. No permit is issued for the sole purpose of advertising or displaying products, services or wares. Carrying a weapon, or using lumber, wood lath, metal or bottles as a weapon, is prohibited on public property or while taking part in any parade, demonstration or rally.
Exempt from § 17-5 are block party permits (governed by a council resolution), funeral processions, events inside public parks or facilities regulated under chapter 19, article I, and co-sponsored events to the extent the city's co-sponsorship guidelines provide. Athletic events sponsored by the community services department, such as runs, bike-a-thons and triathlons, are exempt only from the subsection (d) conditions.
Violations & Fines
Conducting or joining a covered event without a permit, or breaking any other part of § 17-5, is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00, imprisonment for not more than six months, or both. No one can join a permitted event or interfere with its progress or orderly conduct without the permittee's consent. During a permitted event, the chief of police or any on-scene peace officer supervisor can close additional streets beyond those the City Manager designated when safety and traffic flow require it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Fontana permit for a gathering of fewer than 50 people?
What happens if I file after the 14-day or 90-day deadline?
How fast does Fontana decide, and how do I appeal a denial?
On what grounds can the City Manager deny a parade permit?
Does a block party, funeral procession or park event need a § 17-5 permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fontana
California rules heatmap·Compare Fontana to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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Parade Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle parade permits.