Inglewood, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Section 8-72 makes it unlawful to operate, or participate in operating, any Outdoor Restaurant in Inglewood without a permit from the Permits and Licenses Committee. Applications, suspensions, and revocations run through the Committee's Article 3 process, and under § 8-72.1 the Committee may only issue the permit if it makes five specific findings: the application is complete and accurate; the proposed use creates no apparent danger to neighborhood or city health and safety; operating at the requested location and hours will not disturb the peace and quiet of the neighborhood; the use will not conflict with state or city law; and, critically for sidewalk seating, the use will not interfere with the use of a public street or sidewalk.

Renewal applications filed between November 1 and December 31 are issued for the following calendar year under § 8-72.2, provided the expiring permit was not suspended or revoked. Section 8-72.3 sets the cost: a $250 fee due with the first application, and a $250 annual renewal fee thereafter. Because the ordinance is written around discretionary findings rather than a numeric standard, the Committee retains authority to deny or condition a permit anywhere the outdoor seating would crowd a sidewalk or spill noise into an adjoining neighborhood, which matters most for cafes near SoFi Stadium, the Kia Forum, and the Intuit Dome on event days.