Miami Beach, FL Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- Chief of Police
- Filing window
- 15 to 90 days ahead
- Exempt parades
- Funerals, government-sponsored events
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 90 days jail
- Appeal deadline
- 5 days to city manager
Summary
Miami Beach requires anyone organizing a parade on public streets to obtain a written permit from the chief of police under City Code Sec. 106-366. Applications must be filed 15 to 90 days before the event. Funeral processions and government-sponsored parades are exempt. Violators face a fine of up to $1,000 or 90 days in jail.
No person shall conduct or manage any parade without first having obtained a written parade permit from the chief of police; except, that no permit shall be required for: (1)Funeral processions; and(2)Parades sponsored either by the federal or municipal government or agencies thereof.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98 | Resiliency Code (Current Land Development Regulations): Publication | Ordinance 89-2665 (Previous Land Development Regulations): Publication).
Full Breakdown
The permit process sits in Chapter 106, Article VIII, Division 2. Under Sec. 106-367, an applicant files with the chief of police on approved forms, listing the sponsoring organization, the exact assembly and disbanding areas, the proposed route, start and end times, the number of persons, animals and vehicles involved, and the number of monitors assigned. The chief may accept a late application filed less than 15 days out only on a showing of good cause. Sec. 106-368 sets the standards for issuance: the parade cannot substantially interrupt vehicular or pedestrian traffic along its route, cannot divert so many officers that the city loses reasonable police protection, cannot block emergency vehicle access, and cannot be held solely to advertise a product or service for private gain.
The chief must act on an application within five days of filing. If rejected, Sec. 106-369 requires written notice served within ten days stating the specific reasons, and Sec. 106-370 lets the chief offer an alternate permit for a different date, time or route. Under Sec. 106-371, a rejected applicant can appeal to the city manager within five days, and the city manager must issue a final decision within ten days. Sec. 106-372 requires the permit to fix the parade's minimum and maximum speed, maximum length, and maximum spacing between units, and organizers must station first-aid personnel along the route.
The chief of police can revoke a permit under Sec. 106-373 if the parade departs from the standards. Sec. 106-375 separately bars parade, rally, picket line and demonstration participants from carrying weapons, glass containers, spray paint or rigid signs thicker than a quarter inch.
Violations & Fines
Conducting, managing or participating in a parade without the required permit, or willfully violating a permit's terms, is punishable under Sec. 106-374 by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both. The chief of police can also revoke an in-progress permit under Sec. 106-373 for violating the Sec. 106-368 issuance standards, and refusing an officer's order to discard a prohibited item under Sec. 106-375 is a separate violation under Sec. 1-14.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami Beach
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Parade Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Miami-Dade County handle parade permits.