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

City Code § 22-12(b)(4) defines a 'parade' as any march, demonstration, procession or motorcade consisting of persons, animals, or vehicles, or a combination thereof, upon any traditional public forum within the city that interferes with or is likely to interfere with the normal flow or regulation of pedestrian or vehicular traffic. Subsection (c)(1) makes conducting or participating in a parade without a written permit unlawful, though funeral processions, students moving between classes, and military or government units acting in their official capacity are exempted under (c)(2).

Parades that will block or close all or part of a major city street, or a downtown street, and need extra police for traffic control must file a written application with the city manager at least 30 calendar days ahead under (d)(1)a; any other parade needs only ten business days' notice under (d)(1)b. The application discloses the assembly and dispersal points, the exact route, the approximate number of marchers, animals and vehicles, and whether sound equipment, banners or signs will be used. Fees cover the city's administrative and service costs, and organizers of larger parades must carry liability insurance naming the city as an additional insured, unless granted a fee and insurance exemption for a noncommercial, First-Amendment-protected event under (e)(4).

Under (l), a parade with 30 or fewer people and no vehicles is confined to the sidewalks, and even a permitted street parade can be shifted to the sidewalk by the officer in charge if too few marchers or no vehicles show up at the scheduled start.