Carteret County, NC Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Article III of Chapter 11 defines a 'mass gathering' in § 11-47 as 'the congregation or assembly of more than 1,000 people in an open space or open air, in which admission is charged in reasonable contemplation of profit,' excluding assemblies inside permanent buildings designed for large crowds. Section 11-66 requires anyone who organizes, sponsors or holds such a gathering, including an outdoor street fair, music festival or fairground event that meets the definition, to first obtain a non-transferable permit from the Carteret County Health Department.

Under § 11-67, the organizer must file an application at least 90 days before the event, pay a fee, and submit a map showing toilets, water supply, camping, food service, garbage disposal, entrances and exits, plus a traffic-control plan. Section 11-69 layers on financial security: within five days of a provisional permit, the organizer must post a performance bond starting at $5,000.00 for up to 5,000 attendees, plus $1,000.00 for each additional 5,000 people or fraction, and carry public liability and property damage insurance the health department deems reasonable, capped at $1,000,000.00.

The health department inspects the site 15 days before the event under § 11-70 before issuing the final permit, and can revoke it under § 11-71 for noncompliance. Section 11-50 exempts gatherings already controlled under the state's separate mass-gathering statute, G.S. 130A-251.