Redding, CA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Director of development services
- Geographic limit
- Downtown Central Business District only
- Who can apply
- Only the abutting business's operator
- Application fee
- $50, per § 13.25.040
- Permit status
- Temporary, non-transferable, revocable with or without cause
Summary
A Redding restaurant can only put tables on a public sidewalk with a license agreement from the director of development services under Chapter 13.25, and that license is limited to the downtown central business district and to the operator of the abutting business.
No person shall establish or maintain any sidewalk dining area within a public walkway except pursuant to the issuance of a license agreement approved by the director pursuant to this chapter. ... B. Permits shall only be issued in the downtown central business district. C. Permits shall be issued only to the operator of a business on the abutting property. ... E. Permits are temporary and nonpermanent in nature, and the permittee shall have neither a property interest in nor any entitlement to the granting or continuation of any such permit. F. Permits may be terminated by the city with or without cause regardless of the nature and scope of financial or other interests in or on account of the permit, the permitted use, or the permittee.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48).
Full Breakdown
030 bars anyone from establishing or maintaining a sidewalk dining area within a public walkway without a license agreement approved by the director of development services. Permits are issued only inside the downtown central business district and only to the operator of a business on the abutting property; they are not transferable to any other person or entity, and a permittee has "neither a property interest in nor any entitlement to the granting or continuation" of the permit. The city can terminate the license "with or without cause," regardless of the permittee's financial stake in the setup. 110. 050. 010.
Violations & Fines
Operating a sidewalk dining area without the director's license agreement, expanding beyond the licensed footprint, or adding alcohol service or changing the arrangement without filing a new application under § 13.25.050 exposes the operator to the city's general obstruction enforcement; because § 13.25.030F lets the city terminate a license "with or without cause," a permittee has no guaranteed right to keep operating even after following the rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any Redding restaurant put tables on the sidewalk?
How much does a Redding sidewalk dining permit cost?
Can the city shut down my sidewalk dining permit without a reason?
Do I need separate approval to serve alcohol at my sidewalk tables?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redding
California rules heatmap·Compare Redding to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.