Bothell, WA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Bothell Municipal Code Chapter 5.06 governs street fairs, festivals and similar gatherings in the City of Bothell. A "special event" is a temporary or ongoing activity on public property that affects the ordinary use of streets, rights-of-way and sidewalks, and that is reasonably expected to gather more than 75 people, to have an uncommon impact on the public place, or to require public services (BMC 5.06.010). Section 5.06.020 makes it unlawful to hold the event, or to use any street, right-of-way or other public place, without a permit issued by the city.

The permit is required on city-owned property when any one trigger is present: more than 75 people, a need for city personnel for road closures, traffic control or crowd control, impeded rights-of-way, or permits from two or more city departments. The city manager or designee can also require one for special circumstances such as coordinating multiple uses of public property.

You apply in writing to the city clerk on the city's form. It must give your name and contact details, a full description and duration of the event, the location with dimensions and plans for any structure, and an estimate of attendance (5.06.030). The processing fee is set by city council fee resolution and cannot be based on the purpose, content or subject matter of the event (5.06.040). You also pay actual repair or replacement costs for any city property you damage.

A certificate of general liability insurance naming the city as additional insured is due no later than two weeks before the event. The city manager or designee can waive it when the event poses no substantial liability risk and you sign a hold harmless agreement (5.06.050, 5.06.060).

The city manager issues the permit only if parking plans are adequate, the event will not endanger vehicles or pedestrians, any street closure fits within the period the manager sets, the date does not pile onto other events or construction, the location is not overused by events in a year, and city staff are available (5.06.080).

Exempt from the permit: city-sponsored events, funeral processions, temporary business sales such as sidewalk sales, garage sales, lemonade stands and car washes, lawful picketing, block parties (a separate city process), events solely inside a Bothell park using the park reservation form, and right-of-way use approved under Chapter 17.20 BMC (5.06.090).