Shoreline, WA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

The Shoreline Municipal Code treats a parade the same as any other temporary occupation of a public street: SMC § 12.15.030(D) lists "street runs, or races held on public streets and sidewalks on specific routes, parades and processions" among the activities that require a right-of-way use permit issued by the Public Works and Utilities Department director. The permit exists to keep vehicular and pedestrian travel functioning, so the director can impose conditions on location, timing, signage, and cleanup, and may require police escorts, traffic control, and inspections.

Applicants file under SMC § 12.15.040 at least 10 working days before the event, submitting a scale drawing of the route, a description and duration of the use, and a traffic and pedestrian control plan; the fee follows the city's adopted fee schedule. Every permit must set insurance, indemnification, and financial-guarantee terms, and spell out removal and restoration duties once the event ends. Use permits normally run up to 180 days, far beyond any single parade, but the director can add conditions rather than a flat denial.

The director may revoke a permit under SMC § 12.15.190 if the event departs from the approved plan, blocks required inspection access, or endangers the public or adjoining property. Occupying the right-of-way without an authorized permit is declared a public nuisance under SMC § 12.15.200, enforceable through the code-enforcement penalties in Chapter 20.30 SMC. Organizers who also need to close a residential or arterial street for the route must additionally satisfy the separate street-closure notice standards in SMC § 12.15.130.