Rock Hill, SC Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

City Code § 18-7 states plainly that no parade, except forces of the United States army or navy, the South Carolina military forces, and the city's police and fire departments, may occupy, march, or proceed along any street except in accordance with a permit issued by the chief of police. C. Code 1976 § 56-5-710(3), which is the state statute authorizing the city to regulate parades on its streets. 00, imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both, with each day the violation continues counting as a separate offense.

Applications and permit terms are handled through the police department rather than a formal application form printed in the code, so anyone planning a parade route through Rock Hill streets, whether a Winthrop University homecoming procession, a holiday parade downtown, or a community march, needs to coordinate with the chief of police before setting a date. The permit requirement sits inside Chapter 18's traffic code, which the traffic commission established under § 18-31 and the police department jointly administer, and it works alongside the city's broader special events framework in Chapter 26 for events that also need access to parks, sidewalks, or other public property beyond the roadway itself.

Because the ordinance names only three exempt categories of marching forces, civic groups, businesses, schools, and nonprofits organizing a parade all need the chief's permit regardless of size or purpose.