Long Beach, CA Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- 75+ person assemblage at a public place
- Filing deadline
- 60 calendar days (10 working days for block parties)
- Appeal window
- 10 business days to City Council
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor for intentional violation
- Fee waiver
- Available for indigent applicants
Summary
Long Beach requires a City Manager permit before any organized gathering of 75 or more people assembles at a public park, place, or facility. Long Beach Municipal Code § 5.60.020(A) bars conducting a special event on city streets, parks, piers, or property without a written permit, and § 5.60.010(H)(2) sets the 75-person threshold.
H."Special Event" means:...2.Any organized assemblage of seventy-five (75) or more persons at any public place, property or facility which is to gather for a common purpose under the direction or control of a person. ... A.Except as provided by the terms of a permit, lease or contract which has been specifically authorized by the City Council, no person shall conduct or cause to be conducted, participate or engage in, hold, manage, permit or allow another to conduct a special event, in, on or upon any City street, sidewalk, alley, park, way, pier, public place, public property or public right-of-way which is owned or controlled by the City without first having obtained a written permit from the City Manager.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
040(B); block party applications need only 10 working days' notice. 050(A)), though indigent applicants meeting SSI/SSP, CalWORKs, or 125%-of-poverty-line criteria can have the fee waived. 020(D)). 060(A) lists 15 grounds for denying or revoking a permit, including unreasonable traffic disruption, interference with police or fire access, incomplete or false applications, unpaid debts to the City, and events that pose an unreasonable danger to public health or safety. 120(A), and the Council must hold a hearing within 60 days.
Violations & Fines
Intentionally violating any provision of Chapter 5.60, including holding an unpermitted 75-person-plus assemblage at a park or public facility, or breaching the conditions of an issued permit, is a misdemeanor under § 5.60.110. Separately, obstructing, impeding, or interfering with an authorized assembly or permitted special event is independently unlawful under § 5.60.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a 50-person birthday gathering in a Long Beach park?
How far ahead must I apply for a Long Beach park gathering permit?
Can the City deny my park event permit application?
What happens if I hold an unpermitted 75-person gathering in a Long Beach park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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How other cities in Los Angeles County handle park event permits.