Norfolk, VA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Sec. 1 requires a written permit from the city manager or her designee before anyone may conduct or participate in a parade, public assembly, or expressive activity, defined broadly to include marches, demonstrations, rallies and leafleting, in any "traditional public forum" of the city, meaning streets, sidewalks and parks. The section exempts spontaneous events, jogging or walking that doesn't close a street, funeral processions, school activities under staff supervision, military and government agencies acting within their duties, and any gathering of fewer than 30 people held somewhere other than a street.

An application for an event that will close a major or downtown street and require extra police must be filed at least 30 days ahead; every other covered event needs only 5 business days' notice, excluding weekends and legal holidays. Applicants pay a nonrefundable $10 processing fee and, for the 30-day category, may also owe service costs and a liability insurance policy naming the city as an additional insured, unless the city manager grants a noncommercial First Amendment exemption from those charges. The city manager must issue the permit within 21 days (30-day applications) or 3 days (5-day applications) if the event won't unreasonably disrupt traffic or public safety, won't overwhelm police and fire resources, has designated monitors, and doesn't conflict with an already-permitted event; a permit cannot be denied based on the content or viewpoint of the message.

Denials must state reasons in writing. Parades of 25 or fewer people with no vehicles are confined to sidewalks, and a police officer at the scene can convert a street parade to a sidewalk parade if too few people or vehicles show up.