North Hempstead, NY Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Town Code § 12-2
- Application deadline
- 10 days before event
- Max license term
- 6 days without Town Board vote
- Parade routes
- approved by Nassau County Police
- Closing time
- 10 p.m. weekdays, 11 p.m. weekends
- Daily fine
- up to $500 per § 12-10
- Charitable/religious events
- license itself is exempt
Summary
North Hempstead requires a special event license under Town Code § 12-2 before anyone stages a parade, circus, carnival or fair, and § 12-4 sends every parade route through the Nassau County Police Department for approval. The Town Clerk issues licenses good for up to six days without Town Board sign-off.
§ 12-2. Special events without license prohibited. No person or persons, corporations or associations shall, except as herein otherwise provided, conduct a special event without first obtaining a special event license therefor according to the provisions of this chapter. ... § 12-4. Parade route to be designated. No show, exhibition, circus, carnival or other exhibit shall travel through the streets of the Town of North Hempstead in going to and from the place where such show, exhibition, circus, carnival or other exhibit is to be held except upon a route to be designated and approved by the Police Department of Nassau County.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4892187; v82 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
L. No. 14-2025, makes it unlawful under § 12-2 to 'conduct a special event without first obtaining a special event license therefor,' though events run directly by a charitable, religious or not-for-profit corporation are exempt from the license itself. Section 12-4 separately requires that any show, exhibition, circus, carnival or other exhibit travel through Town streets only 'upon a route to be designated and approved by the Police Department of Nassau County,' so parade organizers must clear their route with the county force even after the Town Clerk grants the underlying license.
Applications go to the Town Clerk under § 12-5 at least ten days before the event and must list the event's location and dates, the sponsor's and operator's names and addresses, written property-owner permission, minimum liability insurance naming the Town and its officials as additional insureds, a temporary building permit for any tent or pavilion, a cash cleanup bond set by the Clerk, and a Town Board-set application fee. A license runs for up to six days without separate Town Board approval and cannot be transferred. m. m. m. Section 12-9 pulls any event lasting longer than 30 days into Zoning Board of Appeals review as well.
Violations & Fines
Section 12-10 sets the chapter's penalty: any person, corporation or association that violates any section of Chapter 12 is liable for a fine of up to $500 for each day the violation continues, layered on top of § 12-8's separate ban on creating a public nuisance through unnecessary or unreasonable amplified noise at the event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to hold a parade in North Hempstead?
Is a charity walk or church parade exempt from the license?
How long can a special event permit last?
What happens if an event runs past its permitted closing time?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Hempstead
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