Kern County, CA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Kern County Code § 13.04.020
- Fee section
- Reservation fees, § 13.04.180
- Permit form
- Written license, lease, or permit
- Required insurance
- Commercial general liability, county as insured
- Post-event duty
- Gross-receipts report within 10 working days
Summary
Exclusive or business use of a Kern County park, recreation area, or recreational facility requires a written permit, license, lease, or concession agreement from the director of parks and recreation, plus an application fee set by uncodified ordinance. Reservation and refund-processing fees are billed on top of that application fee under a separate section.
B.Permission to conduct any business, to provide any services, to exclusively use, or to sell, rent, demonstrate, test or observe the performance of merchandise, goods or services in a county park or recreation area or portion thereof, may be granted by the director of the county parks and recreation department (hereinafter referred to in this section as "director"), in the form of a written license, lease, concession agreement or permit. A fully completed application on a form approved and provided by the director along with application fee shall be submitted to the director. Application fees are established by uncodified ordinance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 59 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
" That permission comes from the director of the county parks and recreation department in the form of a written license, lease, concession agreement, or permit, granted only after the applicant files a fully completed application on a county-approved form along with an application fee set by uncodified ordinance. Applicants must disclose their entity type, the nature of the event, expected attendance, and any subusers, and must carry commercial general liability insurance naming the county as an additional insured, plus a refundable security deposit unless the director waives or reduces it for sound reasons.
180, layers on the reservation mechanics: it sets a separate fee, again by uncodified ordinance, just for reserving a recreational facility, defined to include campsites, mountain group camp facilities, group picnic areas, swimming pools, county public buildings run by parks and recreation, and park sports facilities, along with fees to change a reservation date or process a refund. 020. 020(G) is barred from getting a subsequent permit.
Violations & Fines
Using a Kern County park or recreation facility for a business purpose, exclusive gathering, or sale of goods and services without the required written permit, license, or agreement from the parks and recreation director violates Section 13.04.020, and failure to file the required post-event gross-receipts statement bars the applicant from receiving any future permit under the same chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to reserve a Kern County park for a private event?
Are reservation fees separate from the application fee?
What insurance do I need to reserve a county park facility?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kern County
California rules heatmap·Compare Kern County to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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