Port St. Lucie, FL Special Events & Permits: Park Event Permits (2026)

Under Sec. 04, no one may initiate, sponsor, organize, promote, conduct, or advertise a public assembly gathering in a Port St. Lucie park or the recreation center without first getting a permit from the Parks and Recreation director or designee, and a separate permit is required for each assembly with its valid period clearly stated. City-organized or sponsored events do not need a permit. To apply, Sec. 05 requires a written application to the department stating the applicant's name and address, any sponsoring organization, the requested day and hours, the specific park or recreation center facility, the anticipated attendance, and any other information the director finds reasonably necessary.

The director must issue the permit unless the activity would unreasonably interfere with public enjoyment or safety, create burdensome police costs, or conflict with an existing reservation for the same time slot. If refused, the director must give written reasons within ten days, and the applicant can appeal in writing to the city manager within ten days; the city manager's decision, issued within ten days, is final. The same ten-day appeal path applies if the director later revokes a permit for a rule violation or good cause.

Permit holders are liable for any loss, damage, or injury their event causes and must produce the permit on request. Tent rules sit in the same section: open-sided tents of 400 square feet or less need only prior Parks and Recreation Department approval, while any other tent installation needs the director's approval plus all other required federal, state, or city permits, and any tent over 900 square feet requires a separate tent permit from the St. Lucie County Fire District.