Carrollton, TX Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Section 133.20 of the Carrollton Code of Ordinances requires a park permit whenever a park user needs an exemption for use of property or a specific use inside the city parks system. Subsection (A) routes applications through the Parks and Recreation Administrative Office, with final approval resting with the Parks and Recreation Director, and it sets a minimum lead time of 30 days before the planned use. Permit fees stack on top of whatever other fees the Comprehensive Fee Schedule in chapter 31 already charges for the facility itself.

Subsection (B) lists four situations that trigger the permit requirement: an exemption for property use that needs the city's written approval but does not rise to a special event permit under chapter 117; specialty equipment such as bounce houses, portable cooking trailers or stoves, or anything requiring stakes, barrels, or tethers; priority or exclusive use of an area not already listed as reservable under section 31.01G; and operating a business inside a park, such as photography, fitness classes, private lessons, or training camps, when it is not already covered by another written agreement or a special event permit.

A reservation issued under this section doubles as the defense written into section 133.16(S): once notice of the reservation is posted, anyone loitering on the reserved area can be prosecuted unless they were invited by the permit holder. Violating the permit terms, or using park facilities without one where required, exposes a person or group to the chapter-wide penalty in section 133.99 and to losing scheduled facility privileges under section 133.37.