Lee County, FL Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Lee County's Special Events Permitting Ordinance, codified at Code of Ordinances §§ 19-183 through 19-185 (Code 1974 § 25-21 to 25-23; Ord. No. 17-08, adopted August 15, 2017), requires a permit before holding a "special event" anywhere in the county, incorporated or not. Sec. 19-184 defines a special event broadly: any temporary, preplanned entertainment, cultural, recreational, educational, political, religious or sporting gathering that is sponsored by an individual or entity, open to the public, and expected to draw 1,000 or more people at any single session, on public or private property.

Sec. 19-185(a) sets four independent triggers for the permit requirement: an expected crowd of 1,000 or more; any event held on County property regardless of size; any event where alcohol will be sold or consumed inside a County facility or public park; and any filming or photography involving pyrotechnics, firearms or stunts. Meeting any one trigger is enough, so a small private gathering on County land still needs a permit even with fewer than 1,000 attendees. Organizers must submit a complete application, with descriptive plans covering every arrangement for the event, to the County permitting office at least 30 days before the scheduled start date, along with any applicable fees.

The applicant must then satisfy every condition imposed by the required sign-off agencies, which can include Parks and Recreation, law enforcement, fire and environmental staff depending on the event, plus any additional condition the County Administrator sets.