Sonoma, CA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

59 to add a Special Event Permit requirement as item 15 among the city's local operational permits. Any organized procession or assemblage of 50 or more people that could significantly impact vehicular traffic or create a safety problem must obtain the permit from the Bureau of Fire Prevention before the event happens; the code lists music festivals, elevated stages, outdoor markets, circuses, walkathons, runs, marathons, trail rides, bicycle races, celebrations, and parades as covered examples, and adds that similar activities count even if not named.

Because the City of Sonoma is built around Sonoma Plaza, an eight-acre National Historic Landmark that hosts much of the city's public gathering, event organizers planning anything at or near the Plaza should expect this permit step in addition to any separate street closure, park use, or business license approvals the city requires elsewhere in its code. 1. 010(A)(4) sets infraction fines of $100 for a first offense, $500 for a second violation of the same section within a year, and $1,000 for a third or subsequent violation, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense.