Tulare County, CA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 2-01-1005, Ordinance Code Part 2 Ch. 1
- Permit issuer
- Board of Supervisors
- Application requirement
- 3 resident character references
- Review factors
- Public peace, health, safety
- Permit scope
- Single event, non-transferable
- Violation class
- Misdemeanor, $1,000/6-month cap
- Geographic reach
- Unincorporated Tulare County only
Summary
Tulare County requires a written Board of Supervisors permit before anyone may hold a parade, march or procession, or play a wind or stringed instrument, on a public highway in the unincorporated county, under Ordinance Code § 2-01-1005. Applicants must file a written application backed by three residents vouching for their character, and the Board can grant, deny or restrict the permit.
It shall be unlawful for any person to hold, manage, conduct, carry on, or to cause or permit to be held, managed, conducted or carried on any parade, march or procession of any kind, other than a funeral procession, or for any person to use, beat or operate any wind instrument, stringed instrument or other musical instrument, upon any public highway in the County, without first having obtained from the Board of Supervisors a written permit so to do.
Full Breakdown
Section 2-01-1005 sits in Part 2, Chapter 1, 'Use of Public Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public Places,' and it makes it unlawful to hold, manage, conduct or carry on any parade, march or procession of any kind other than a funeral procession, or to use, beat or operate a wind, stringed or other musical instrument, upon a public highway in the county without first obtaining a written permit from the Board of Supervisors. Section 2-01-1015 sets the application procedure: the organizer must file a written application signed by the individual applicant or the managing agent of a firm, corporation or association, on forms the Board prescribes, specifying the time, place and purpose of the event, and the application must be accompanied by a certificate signed by at least three reputable residents of the judicial district vouching for the applicant's character and reputation.
Section 2-01-1020 directs the Board to hear evidence about the proposed location's relation to public peace, health and safety before granting, denying or restricting the permit as it deems necessary. Section 2-01-1025 lets the Board deny or revoke a permit, on reasonable notice, whenever it finds that is in the best interests of public peace, health and safety. 6 per section 2-01-1030, and section 2-01-1035 makes every permit non-transferable and restricted to a single event at one designated time and place. As with every section in this chapter, the permit requirement applies only within the unincorporated area; Visalia, the city of Tulare, Porterville and Dinuba issue their own parade permits under their own municipal codes.
Violations & Fines
Section 2-01-1040 declares a violation of this chapter, including holding an unpermitted parade, a misdemeanor punishable under section 125 of the Ordinance Code, which caps the penalty at a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both. Denial or revocation of a permit can be challenged only through judicial review under Code of Civil Procedure section 1094.6, not through the criminal process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a Tulare County parade permit?
Can the county deny or pull a parade permit after it's issued?
Does a Tulare County parade permit cover more than one event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tulare County
California rules heatmap·Compare Tulare County to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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