York County, VA Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Sec. 17-57, "Assemblies, meetings, demonstrations, parades in public areas," states its own purpose in subsection (a): to permit the public's use of public property while requiring prior notice for certain activities to preserve public peace, health, safety and welfare, maintain order, and keep vehicular and pedestrian traffic flowing. Subsection (b) defines the four covered activities, including "Parade," a group walking, marching or otherwise proceeding on or across a public area to call the public's attention to themselves. Subsection (c) sets the trigger: prior notice is required for any assembly, meeting, demonstration or parade on open-space public areas reasonably expected to draw more than 25 people, with two exceptions, activities already covered by another chapter permit, and activities sponsored or part of a program sponsored by the appropriate governing authority.

Subsection (e) spells out how notice works: it can be oral, in person, by phone or email, or written by mail or hand delivery, and is effective only once actually received, though a notice that creates a record of having been made is deemed received if the official hasn't responded by the close of business on the second business day after it was sent. Sec. 17-58(p) adds that a permitted assembly can't disturb the peace and that when two groups give notice for the same time and place, the group that gave notice first gets priority. Chapter 17's default penalty in Sec. 17-4 and the ejection power in Sec. 17-3(a) apply to violations of Sec. 17-57 itself.