Scottsdale, AZ Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Chapter 17, Article VI of the Scottsdale Code of Ordinances defines a "parade" broadly as any parade, march, ceremony, show, exhibition, pageant, procession or any similar display on a street, park or other public place, and Section 17-137 makes it unlawful to engage in, participate in, aid, form or start any parade without a parade permit, subject to exemptions in Section 17-138 for funeral processions, supervised school activities, and government agencies acting within their functions. Under Section 17-139, an applicant must file at least 30 but no more than 90 days before the proposed date, though the city may waive the 30-day minimum for good cause, listing the organizer, sponsoring organization, parade chairman, date, route, starting and ending points, purpose, estimated number of people and animals, vehicle types, start and end times, whether the parade will use the full street width, assembly locations and times, and spacing between units.

The city must act within 10 days of filing and, if it denies the permit, must mail a written denial with reasons within 15 days. Section 17-140 requires the city to issue a permit unless the parade would substantially interrupt traffic, divert too many police officers or ambulances from normal city coverage, interfere with firefighting response, risk injury or disorder, or exists solely to advertise a product or generate private profit. A denied applicant may appeal to the city manager within 10 days under Section 17-141, and the city manager must decide within 10 days of receiving the appeal; the city may instead offer an alternate date, time or route under Section 17-142, which the applicant must accept in writing within 5 days.