Gaston County, NC Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Under Article IV of the Gaston County Code of Ordinances, no parade or "public assembly" (a gathering of 25 or more people expected to obstruct traffic on county property, or 25 or more people at the Courthouse, Sheriff's Office Headquarters, Jail, or Administrative Building) may proceed without notification filed with an approving official at least two business days ahead; protests need only 24 hours (§ 8-103(b)). The notification form, available from the Sheriff's Office and the county Administrative Building, must list the organizer, an on-site planner, the route and any requested street closings, the expected crowd size, and any animals that will attend (§ 8-103(b)(1)-(5)).

The approving official (the sheriff or a sheriff's deputy, the county manager, an assistant or deputy manager, or the county attorney) must respond within one business day and may attach reasonable conditions but cannot deny an event based on the political, social, or religious content of its message (§ 8-103(b), (c)). , stay at least 50 feet from any county building entrance, and may not erect a structure, enclosure, or tent unless the permit specifically authorizes it (§ 8-104(e), (i), (j)). Handheld amplified sound devices must be kept at least five feet from bystanders, and the sheriff or chief deputy may revoke a permit at any time for public safety (§ 8-104(g), (h)).

A denied applicant has five days to appeal in writing to the appeals official (the county manager or, if the manager acted as approving official, the board chairman), who must hold a quasi-judicial hearing within two business days and can be further reviewed by writ of certiorari in Gaston County Superior Court within 30 days (§ 8-103(d)). The article applies only to assemblies on county property, not county parks or public-school events, which are governed separately (§ 8-105).