Noblesville, IN Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

The City of Noblesville regulates outdoor dining and sidewalk seating downtown through Chapter 95 of the Code of Ordinances, which governs encroachments into the public right-of-way. Under § 95.04(K), any sales, vending, seating or display set up by a business must sit directly in front of that business and cannot overlap an adjoining storefront unless the neighboring business gives written approval, filed with the permit application and renewed each year. Every encroachment application in the downtown district must also include a site plan showing the exact footprint of tables or displays and the required clear zones, per § 95.04(O).

Because sidewalk dining shares the right-of-way with pedestrians, § 95.04(D) requires merchants to preserve at least a 48-inch ADA clear zone measured from the brick paver band toward the building, with a wider 60-by-60-inch passing space at least every 200 feet. Pricing depends on where the tables sit: § 95.06(B) sets a $100-per-month fee for dining or seating placed in an alley, and § 95.06(C) sets the same $100-per-month rate for seating that occupies a parking space, both due once the application is approved. Applicants must also carry general liability insurance naming the City of Noblesville as an additional co-insured, in an amount the Board of Public Works and Safety sets at no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence. Permits can be revoked for non-compliance, and a revoked location is barred from reapplying for one year under § 95.04(N).