Washington County, MD Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Code of Public Local Laws § 10-501(c) defines an "Entertainment Event" as an event organized for the primary purpose of entertaining or amusing people, held on public or private property within the unincorporated area of Washington County, if expected attendance, including participants and spectators, is greater than 250 people, and the definition expressly lists parades as one of the covered event types alongside bonanzas, carnivals, fairs, and concerts. Once an event meets that definition, § 10-502 requires the organizer, whether an individual, corporation, partnership, association, or other entity, public or private, to obtain a Special Event permit before holding it.

The County Commissioners set the mechanics by ordinance or resolution under § 10-503, covering permit application requirements, application fees, permit processes, civil penalties for noncompliance, and permit appeal procedures, meaning the fee amount itself is fixed by regulation rather than a dollar figure in the statute. Section 10-504 carves out limited exceptions, none of which reach a public parade of any size: events on Board of Education or private/parochial school property, events at private golf or recreational facilities during normal operations, events fully enclosed inside a permanent structure, certain athletic league activity with Parks and Recreation permission, and events sponsored entirely by the County Commissioners themselves.

None of those exceptions cover a street parade, so any parade crossing the 250-person threshold in the unincorporated county needs a Special Event permit. An "Event Requiring Assistance" under § 10-501(d), meaning one that closes or reroutes a roadway or intersection or needs above-normal county law enforcement, traffic, or emergency staffing, triggers the permit requirement regardless of the exceptions in § 10-504.