Saint Paul, MN Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Chief of police, Sec. 366A.01
- Nonrefundable fee
- $10, Sec. 366A.05(a)
- Filing window
- 5-20 business days by size, Sec. 366A.04(b)
- No permits granted
- 11 p.m.-7 a.m., Sec. 366A.06(b)
- Violation penalty
- Misdemeanor, Sec. 366A.17
Summary
Anyone staging a parade, race, or public assembly of more than 25 people in Saint Paul needs a police-issued permit under Legislative Code Sec. 366A.01. Applications carry a nonrefundable ten-dollar fee, must be filed 5 to 20 business days ahead depending on size, and no permit is granted for hours between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
(a)No person shall engage in or conduct any parade, race or public assembly without a permit issued by the chief of police. ... (a)A nonrefundable fee of ten dollars ($10.00) to cover administrative costs of processing the permit shall be paid to the city by the applicant when the application is filed. ... (b)No permit shall be granted that allows a parade, race or public assembly to occur between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
F. No. 05-220 in 2005, defines a 'public assembly' as a gathering of more than twenty-five people for a common purpose planned in advance on a street, sidewalk or other public ground, and a 'parade' as any march, demonstration, procession or motorcade that interferes with the normal flow of traffic. Sec. 01 requires a permit from the chief of police for any parade, race or public assembly, with exceptions in Sec. 03 for funerals, supervised school activities, government agencies, and events in city parks (governed instead by Chapter 170).
Sec. 04 sets filing deadlines that scale with size: fourteen business days for parades or races under 200 participants and thirty vehicles/animals, twenty business days for larger ones, five calendar days for assemblies under 100 people that will not disrupt traffic, and seven business days for larger or traffic-disrupting assemblies; no application may be filed more than 365 days out. Sec. 05(a) sets a nonrefundable ten-dollar administrative fee, plus reimbursement for any extra police protection the chief deems necessary, billed at officers' formula salary and benefit rates.
Sec. , and subsection (c) bars considering the event's speech content. Sec. 13(d) also requires a written waste and recycling management plan filed sixty days before the event.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 366A.17 makes violating any section of Chapter 366A a misdemeanor. Sec. 366A.14 separately lists specific prohibitions: staging or participating in an unpermitted parade, race or public assembly, a chairperson's knowing failure to follow permit conditions, conduct that substantially hazards public safety, and using sound amplification beyond Chapter 293's noise limits without a council variance. The chief of police may revoke a permit instantly under Sec. 366A.16 for a violation of the issuance standards or a competing public emergency, and a denied applicant has five days to appeal to the city council under Sec. 366A.10.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Saint Paul require a permit for a protest march?
How far in advance must I apply for a Saint Paul parade permit?
What time of night are parades or assemblies banned in Saint Paul?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
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