Fullerton, CA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Covered events
- Carnival, festival, tent/car show, circus
- Vendor control
- Event permit overrides § 4.02.010 licenses
- Vendor screening
- Written approval from permit holder required
- Vendor fee
- Permit holder may charge registration fee
- Food vending
- County Health Care Agency temp. food permit
Summary
Fullerton treats a carnival, festival, tent or car show, circus, parade, auction or rally as a SPECIAL EVENT requiring a permit, and the permit controls vendors, not their individual business licenses. FMC § 8.71.090 lets the permit holder screen every vendor and charge a registration fee.
SPECIAL EVENT. An event that will be conducted outdoors to which the general public is admitted or invited. Such an event includes a carnival, festival, tent or car show, circus, parade, auction, rally or a similar kind of temporary outdoor exhibition or performance. ... A special event permit issued pursuant to this chapter shall control over any business licenses issued pursuant to § 4.02.010. Only those vendors who have received prior written approval from the special event permit holder shall be allowed to operate within the prescribed venue area of the special event. The written approval shall not be unreasonably withheld. ... The special event permit holder may charge a reasonable registration fee of all vendors who desire to operate within the prescribed venue area of the special event.
Full Breakdown
020 defines a SPECIAL EVENT as an outdoor event to which the general public is admitted or invited, expressly including a carnival, festival, tent or car show, circus, parade, auction, rally or similar temporary outdoor exhibition or performance, and a block party is treated as a subtype. 010: only vendors who have received prior written approval from the special event permit holder may operate within the event's prescribed venue area, though that approval cannot be unreasonably withheld. 090(B) lets the permit holder charge those vendors a reasonable registration fee to operate in the venue.
050(A)(11) requires a daily state Alcoholic Beverage Control license and host liquor liability coverage if alcohol will be served or sold. 050, including security deposits, traffic control, sanitation and police staffing.
Violations & Fines
A vendor operating within a street fair or festival venue without the special event permit holder's prior written approval is outside the § 8.71.090(A) authorization and can be treated as operating without the license protection the permit provides, exposing the vendor to the same enforcement as an unpermitted business under Title 4. The overall special event permit remains subject to suspension under § 8.71.080 if any condition of approval, including the food or alcohol permitting requirements in § 8.71.050, is violated, with all event activity required to stop immediately on written notice from the Director of Public Works or Chief of Police.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do vendors at a Fullerton street fair need their own business license?
Can the organizer of a Fullerton festival charge vendors to participate?
What counts as a special event under Fullerton's code?
Does a food vendor at a Fullerton festival need a separate health permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fullerton
California rules heatmap·Compare Fullerton to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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How other cities in Orange County handle street fair rules.