Mason County, WA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Mason County's Public Works Department administers seven categories of right-of-way use permits under MCC § 12.05.030, adopted by Ordinance No. 2024-028 on May 7, 2024. Category 7, the Road Use Permit, is the one that governs parades: it applies to private events which extend into the rights-of-way or affect the ordinary use of public streets, sidewalks, and traffic, and the code names parades, fun runs and cycling events as examples, along with temporary work or non-permanent items placed in the right-of-way. The same Category 7 permit doubles as the special-use permit issued during road weight restrictions and pairs with the county's separate road-closure authority under MCC Chapter 12.32 when an event requires closing or restricting a road.

Applicants file with the Public Works Permit Center and pay a fee set by the current Mason County Public Works Permit Fee Schedule, adopted by resolution under MCC § 12.05.040; the schedule itself is posted on the Public Works webpage rather than fixed in the code text. Permit requirements are cross-referenced to MCC Chapters 12.04, 12.08, 12.24, 13.08 and 14.28, so an event permit can trigger road-approach or utility permitting if the event involves construction. Because Mason County has no free-standing parade ordinance, enforcement of an unpermitted event falls to the countywide misdemeanor penalty at MCC § 1.04.010: a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation charged as a separate offense.