Pender County, NC Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Reservation rule
- Director may reserve shelters/fields, § 28-22
- Default use
- First come, first served if unreserved
- Event permit
- Written permission needed for ceremonies, § 28-39
- Misuse penalty
- Forfeiture of reservation privileges, § 28-47
- Misdemeanor penalty
- Up to $50 fine or 30 days jail
- Civil penalty
- $100 per offense, up to $500 repeat
Summary
County Code § 28-22 lets the Pender County parks and recreation director reserve a picnic shelter or ball field for a specific person or group; any area that is not reserved is used on a first come, first served basis. No one may refuse to vacate a properly reserved area or overstay a reservation once another valid reservation holder is waiting, and violations are enforced under § 28-48.
Unless an area is specifically reserved for a person or group by the director of parks and recreation or his designee, areas such as picnic shelters or ball fields shall be used or occupied on a "first come, first served" basis. No person shall refuse to vacate a reserved area, such as a picnic shelter or a ball field, which has been properly reserved by another person. No person shall continue to occupy a reserved area beyond the time limitation of his reservation if there is another person with a valid reservation waiting to use the area.
Full Breakdown
Section 28-22 provides that unless an area is specifically reserved for a person or group by the director of parks and recreation or a designee, areas such as picnic shelters or ball fields are used or occupied on a first come, first served basis. No person may refuse to vacate a reserved area that has been properly reserved by another person, and no one may continue occupying a reserved area beyond the reservation's time limit if another person with a valid reservation is waiting to use it.
Section 28-39 layers on a separate written-permission requirement for structures, stands or platforms, meetings, exhibitions, ceremonies or speeches within a park, on top of any shelter or ball field reservation. Section 28-47 provides that flagrant misuse of parks and recreational facilities results in forfeiture of future reservation privileges and/or being banned from parks and recreational facilities within the county, a consequence specific to how reservations are used. The director of parks and recreation administers the reservation system for all county-owned, operated or maintained parks under § 28-19.
Violations & Fines
Beyond losing reservation privileges or being banned under § 28-47, a violation of the reservations article is a misdemeanor under G.S. § 14-4, punishable by a fine of not more than $50.00 or imprisonment of not more than 30 days under § 28-48(a). The county may also assess a civil penalty of $100.00 per offense under § 28-48(b), rising to $500.00 for repeat violations under § 28-48(d), with each day a violation continues counted separately under § 28-48(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I reserve a picnic shelter or ball field in a Pender County park?
Can someone kick me out of a shelter I properly reserved?
Do I need a separate permit for a ceremony, speech or vendor booth in a park?
What happens if I misuse a reserved park facility?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pender County
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