Sedona, AZ Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)

Chapter 5.30 SCC makes clear the sidewalk dining permit is a privilege, not a property right: SCC 5.30.030(A) calls it 'a temporary encroachment license which may be denied, suspended or revoked' and states 'this chapter creates no property right, title or interest.' Operating without one is unlawful under 5.30.030(B). Only a validly licensed business adjacent to the dining area qualifies (5.30.030(C)), and the application under SCC 5.30.060 requires applicant and responsible-party contact information, a copy of the business license, proof of liability insurance naming the city as additional insured, a to-scale sketch of the layout, and photos or brochures of the proposed furniture.

Permits run January 1 to December 31, are personal to the permittee and nontransferable, and carry an initial annual fee equal to the prevailing right-of-way permit fee (SCC 5.30.060(B)-(C)). The prohibited-conduct list in SCC 5.30.050 is detailed: furniture cannot extend beyond the business's storefront bounds, alcohol service is limited to seated patrons at tables, a physical barrier meeting Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Controls standards is required for licensed areas, and the passageway must never be blocked 'to less than 60 inches in width.' Noise from the dining area must comply with the sound control ordinance at Chapter 8.25 SCC, and daily trash and grease cleanup is mandatory, with cleaning procedures also subject to the storm water discharge rules of Chapter 13.50 SCC.

The city engineer or a designee can deny, revoke, or suspend a permit under SCC 5.30.070 for lapsed insurance, uncorrected violations, or pedestrian congestion that shrinks the path below the 60-inch minimum, and a permittee has five working days to appeal to the city engineer, then five more to appeal that decision to the city manager, whose decision is final.