Sanford, FL Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Chapter 90 defines a special event broadly enough to cover any pre-planned parade, and City Code § 90-3 requires a special event permit for all of them unless the city itself is the sponsor of one of the five annual events named in § 90-2: the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veteran's Day and Christmas parades and celebrations. Anyone else seeking a parade permit must file a written application with the director of parks and recreation at least 60 days before the event under § 90-5, listing every subcontractor, vendor and food or beverage dispenser involved, and carrying insurance that names the city as co-insured to the satisfaction of the city's risk management office.

Because parades are singled out by name in § 90-6, alongside carnivals, street closures on arterial or collector roads, pyrotechnics and outdoor alcohol service, a parade permit cannot be finalized by staff; it requires city commission approval at a public meeting. Eligibility is also restricted under § 90-4: only a business with a permanent physical location in the city, or a bona fide charitable, fraternal, educational, governmental, civic, cultural or religious organization with an office or house of worship in the city, may hold the permit, whether the parade route is on that group's own premises or off-premises elsewhere in Sanford.

Two nonrefundable fees apply regardless of the outcome: $50.00 when the application is filed under § 90-14, and, if the commission approves it, another $100.00 before the approval becomes final under § 90-15. Applicants who also want street noise, such as a sound system or a marching band amplification, can request a noise permit in the same application.