Clayton County, GA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- Groups larger than 15 people
- Issuing agency
- County parks and recreation department
- Possible conditions
- Indemnity bond, on-site security
- Underlying park hours
- Sunrise to sunset daily
- Penalty for violation
- Misdemeanor plus possible park ban
Summary
Any group of more than 15 people wanting to use a Clayton County park for a picnic, party, sports event, or performance must first get a permit from the parks and recreation department, unless the department itself is sponsoring the activity as a scheduled program.
Whenever more than 15 members of any group desire to use a park for a particular purpose, such as a picnic, party, sports event or theatrical or other entertainment performance, a representative of such group shall first obtain a permit from the department for such purpose, unless the group is sponsored by the department as one of its scheduled programs. The department shall grant the application for a permit if it appears that the group will not interfere with the general use of the park by individual members of the public, and if the group meets all other reasonable conditions which may be imposed by the department. Such application may contain a requirement for an indemnity bond and or on site security to protect the county from liability of any kind or character and to protect county property from damage.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 104).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 66-8 requires a representative of the group to apply before use. The department must grant the permit if the event will not interfere with the general public's use of the park and the group meets any other reasonable conditions the department imposes; the application may require an indemnity bond or on-site security to protect the county from liability and county property from damage. Permits are separate from the county's general fee authority under Sec. 66-21, which lets the parks and recreation department charge a user fee for any special or sports event or other extraordinary program.
Groups also remain subject to the park's baseline rules regardless of permit status: parks are open only from sunrise to sunset unless the Board of Commissioners authorizes otherwise (Sec. 66-7(b)), and any person entering outside posted hours without an authorized scheduled program, class, event, or meeting is in violation (Sec. 66-7(c)). The department retains authority to issue citations directly under Sec. 66-3, and can bar or suspend any person from all parks at its sole discretion if a violation threatens a park, its facilities, or public health, safety, or welfare (Sec. 66-2(b)).
Violations & Fines
Any violation of the parks chapter, including holding an unpermitted group event, is a misdemeanor under Sec. 66-2(a), punishable per Sec. 1-12 of the Code. The department director or designee can issue and serve citations directly under Sec. 66-3. Beyond a criminal citation, the department may bar or suspend the violator from using any or all county parks if it determines, in its sole discretion, that doing so is necessary to protect the park, its facilities, or the public's health, safety, or welfare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a birthday party at a Clayton County park?
Can the county deny my group's park permit application?
What happens if my group uses a park without a required permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clayton County
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