Mount Vernon, NY Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit authority
- Mayor, applied for via City Clerk
- Application fee
- $100
- Insurance required
- $500,000 liability, City as additional insured
- Exempt parades
- Religious, funeral, political, City, school, veterans'
- Patriotic parades
- Cannot cancel without Mayor's consent
Summary
All processions and parades on Mount Vernon streets need a written permit signed by the Mayor under City Code § 191-9. The City Clerk charges a $100 fee and requires a $500,000 liability certificate naming the City as additional insured, though religious, funeral, political, city, school, and veterans' parades are exempt from both.
Unless otherwise permitted by law, all processions and parades over any public streets or places are prohibited unless a prior written permit signed by the Mayor is obtained. Such permit shall designate the street or streets or public places over which processions and parades may move as well as the day and hours thereof. ... Application for such permit shall be made to the City Clerk accompanied by a fee of $100 for such permit and the filing of a certificate of insurance to be approved by the Corporation Counsel in the sum of $500,000, with the City of Mount Vernon as additional insured, conditioned for the payment of any loss, damage or injury resulting to persons or property by reason of carelessness or negligence on the part of the applicant, its servants, agents or employees.
Full Breakdown
Section 191-9 of the City Code, part of Chapter 191's Article I on Preservation of Good Order, bars any procession or parade over a public street or public place unless a prior written permit signed by the Mayor is obtained. That permit must spell out which streets or public places the parade may use and the day and hours it will run. Subsection B routes the application through the City Clerk, requires a $100 fee, and a certificate of insurance approved by the Corporation Counsel covering $500,000 in liability, naming the City of Mount Vernon as an additional insured, to cover any injury or property damage caused by the organizers' negligence.
military units or local veterans' posts recognized under § 183 of the state Military Law. Subsection D singles out the Memorial Day Parade, Independence Day Celebration, Veterans Day Parade, and any other regularly scheduled patriotic procession sanctioned by the City: those cannot be canceled or postponed without the Mayor's prior consent, and the Mayor can only cancel or adjourn one if it would endanger participants, observers, or the public, or for other reasons the Mayor deems in the public interest.
Violations & Fines
The code does not set a parade-specific fine inside § 191-9 itself; an unpermitted procession falls under the general Code of the City of Mount Vernon penalty in § 1-4, punishable by up to a $250 fine or 15 days' imprisonment, or both, for an individual, and up to $500 for a corporation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a parade permit in Mount Vernon?
Does a church parade need a permit and insurance?
Can the City cancel the Memorial Day Parade?
What happens if I hold a parade without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Vernon
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Parade Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Westchester County handle parade permits.