Pasadena, CA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Any parade, march, procession or street music before it starts
- Application
- Free city form: name, purpose, date, time, route
- Cost reimbursement
- Applicant repays city's police/service costs (Sec. 3.20.015)
- Holiday waiver
- Tournament of Roses window: Dec. 25 to Jan. 7
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months jail
- Appeal
- Written appeal to city clerk, board hears next meeting
Summary
Holding a parade, march or procession on a Pasadena street requires a permit from the city manager before the event. Municipal Code Section 3.20.010 also reaches street musicians, banning drums, tambourines, or wind and string instruments in a procession without the same advance permit.
It is unlawful for any person, firm, association or corporation to hold, manage, conduct, carry on, participate in, or to cause to be held, managed, conducted or carried on any parade, march or procession of any kind or any other similar activity or to beat or play any drum, triangle, tambourine or any wind or string instrument upon any public street or alley in the city without first having applied for and obtained a permit therefor from the city manager as provided herein.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
010. 020 requires a written application, on a city-supplied form with no charge to the applicant, stating the applicant's name and address, the purpose, the date and time, and the place or route. 030 gives the city manager a reasonable time to investigate the applicant and the stated facts; if the manager finds the facts true and concludes the event will not unduly interfere with street use or tend to cause a breach of the public peace, the permit issues with a designated time, place and route.
015 lets the city require the applicant to reimburse it for the cost of the police and other services needed to keep public order during the parade, though the city manager can waive some or all of those costs for the annual Tournament of Roses Parade or any other parade held between December 25 and January 7. 040; the board of directors hears the appeal at its next regular meeting and its decision is final.
Violations & Fines
Holding an unpermitted parade, march or procession, or violating any condition of Sections 3.20.010 through 3.20.040, is a misdemeanor under Section 3.20.050, punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, up to 6 months in the city jail, or both. The section applies to any person, firm, association or corporation that organizes or participates in the unpermitted event.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to hold a parade in Pasadena?
Does Pasadena charge organizers for police costs during a parade?
What if the city denies my Pasadena parade permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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Parade Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle parade permits.