Durham, NC Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Section 54-110 lets the city manager issue outdoor seating permits on city-maintained rights-of-way, sidewalks, public alleys, and pedestrian ways. The application must include a scaled site plan of the frontage, proof of a liability policy with a minimum $1,000,000 limit, a city-attorney-approved indemnity statement, copies of state and city permits including ABC and health permits, and the processing fee set by the city fee schedule. To be issued, the seating must be clearly incidental to the associated business, operate under the same name and management, and may not make up more than 50 percent of the establishment's total seating capacity.

Furnishings must leave a minimum six-foot-wide unobstructed pedestrian corridor through the sidewalk at all times, plus a four-foot corridor straight out from the entrance, and must sit at least two feet from the curb (three feet if adjacent to on-street parking). Umbrellas need seven feet of clear height and cannot carry signage. § 18B-1000 and otherwise licensed to sell for on-premises consumption, with the service area delineated by visible barriers and no more than two points of ingress and egress. Furniture must be removed from the right-of-way at closing and stored inside, and the city can order removal of planters, furniture, and barriers within 24 hours of notice, disposing of items and billing the property owner if they are not removed. A permit is not transferable and expires as stated but no more than 12 months after issuance; it can be revoked under Section 54-141.