Provo, UT Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum clear sidewalk
- 6 feet, unobstructed
- Operating season
- March 1 to October 31 only
- Hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., capped by host's hours
- Menu sign limit
- one sign, 6 square feet max
- License type
- revocable, requires liability insurance
- Governing section
- Provo City Code 14.34.480
Summary
Provo only allows sidewalk cafes where the underlying zone permits them, under a revocable City license: tables must leave 6 feet of clear sidewalk, hours run no earlier than 6 a.m. and no later than midnight, and the whole setup has to come off the right-of-way every year outside the March 1 to October 31 season.
Where permitted by the underlying zone, and notwithstanding the provisions of Chapters 9.15 and 15.12, Provo City Code, a sidewalk cafe shall be permitted if the following requirements are met: (1)(a) At least six (6) feet of clear, unobstructed sidewalk width will remain available for pedestrian use. ... (2)(d) Hours of cafe use will be limited to not earlier than 6:00 A.M. and not later than 12:00 A.M. and will not exceed the operating hours of the associated eating or drinking establishment. ... (h) Sidewalk cafes shall only be operated between March 1 and October 31. Furniture shall be removed from the right-of-way outside of these dates.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-17, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
12 if two layers of requirements are met. First, scaled development-standard plans must show at least 6 feet of clear, unobstructed sidewalk for pedestrians; a 6-inch curb with a 2-foot setback, or bollards every 6 feet, separating the cafe from the street; a barrier no taller than 3 feet if there's more than one row of tables, which can't swing into that 6-foot path; awnings built to the International Building Code, with umbrellas under 7 feet also barred from the required clearance; one freestanding menu sign up to 6 square feet; and adequate on-site trash storage.
06 sound limits for any music or entertainment, a neat and clean condition at all times, removal of improvements on demand for sidewalk repair, utility work, or breach of the agreement, and a hard seasonal window: operation only between March 1 and October 31, with furniture removed from the right-of-way the rest of the year. The Section was enacted in 2010-31 and amended in 2023-46.
Violations & Fines
Running a sidewalk cafe without the revocable license, encroaching on the required 6-foot pedestrian path, keeping tables and chairs out past October 31, or running past midnight are license and right-of-way violations; the City can revoke the license and order the operator to remove all cafe improvements at the operator's own expense, and Public Works can compel removal at any time for sidewalk repair or utility maintenance under the license's own terms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Provo restaurant keep sidewalk seating out year-round?
How much sidewalk has to stay open for pedestrians?
Does a sidewalk cafe need its own insurance policy?
Can live music at a sidewalk cafe run past midnight?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Provo
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