St. Louis, MO Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Café permit fee
- $200 plus $1/sq ft
- Also required
- Board of Public Service encroachment permit
- Permit term
- Up to one year
- Serving alcohol outdoors
- Separate Excise Commissioner permit
- Alcohol permit process
- Hearing plus alderman notice
Summary
St. Louis requires a sidewalk café to hold both a Board of Public Service encroachment permit and a Street Department sidewalk café permit, costing $200 plus $1 per square foot of sidewalk used.
No person or business shall have a sidewalk café without obtaining an encroachment permit from the Board of Public Service and a sidewalk café permit from the Street Department. The fee for the sidewalk café permit shall be two hundred dollars ($200.00) plus $1.00 per square foot of sidewalk being utilized for the café. The sidewalk café permit shall be valid for up to one year from the date of issuance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).
Full Breakdown
A restaurant or business that wants to seat customers on the public sidewalk must get two permits: an encroachment permit from the Board of Public Service and a sidewalk café permit from the Street Department under Section 20.28.160. The café permit costs $200 plus $1.00 per square foot of sidewalk occupied and is valid for up to one year from issuance. If the café will also serve alcohol, Section 14.08.200 requires a separate summer garden/sidewalk café liquor permit from the Excise Commissioner, which carries a $100 one-time application fee, a $25 annual renewal, a public hearing, mailed notice to the ward alderman, and placards posted on the block before approval.
Violations & Fines
Operating a sidewalk café on the public right-of-way without both the encroachment permit and the Street Department café permit is an unauthorized encroachment; the Street Department and Board of Public Service can deny, refuse to renew, or revoke the permit and require removal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need more than one permit for a sidewalk café in St. Louis?
How much does a St. Louis sidewalk café permit cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
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