St. Louis County, MO Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- 25+ persons or 25+ vehicles
- Issuing agency
- St. Louis County Department of Police
- Exempt groups
- Military, police, fire units
- Governing section
- SLCRO § 1218.060
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine / 1 yr jail, § 1215.010
Summary
Any parade or procession of 25 or more people or 25 or more vehicles on a St. Louis County road needs a permit first: Section 1218.060 requires organizers to get sign-off from the St. Louis County Department of Police before marching or driving along any highway, roadway or alleyway, with no permit needed for military, police or fire units.
No procession, or parade containing twenty-five (25) or more persons or twenty-five (25) or more vehicles, excepting the armed forces of the United States, the military forces of this State, and the forces of the police and fire departments, shall occupy, march, or proceed along any highway, roadway or alleyway except in accordance with a permit issued by the St. Louis County Department of Police, and such other regulations as are set forth herein which may apply.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
060 sets the trigger at 25: once a procession or parade reaches 'twenty-five (25) or more persons or twenty-five (25) or more vehicles,' it 'shall occupy, march, or proceed along any highway, roadway or alleyway' only 'in accordance with a permit issued by the St. ' Smaller, informal groups under that headcount fall outside the permit requirement altogether. The ordinance carves out one category entirely: 'the armed forces of the United States, the military forces of this State, and the forces of the police and fire departments' can proceed without a permit, regardless of size.
070, giving an organized funeral procession special right-of-way protections at intersections that an ordinary parade does not automatically receive; a parade permit does not itself grant the traffic-control privileges a funeral procession gets. 120 separately addresses closing roadways, alleyways and driveways. 010.
Violations & Fines
Holding an unpermitted parade or procession of 25 or more people or vehicles is a Traffic Code misdemeanor under Section 1215.010, since Chapter 1218 sets no separate fine: a conviction can bring a fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in the County Jail, or both. St. Louis County Police can also order an unpermitted parade off the roadway on the spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a small neighborhood parade?
Who issues parade permits in St. Louis County?
What happens if we parade without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
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