Mendocino County, CA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Attendance threshold
- 1,000+ persons
- License issuer
- Tax Collector, after Board approval
- Application deadline
- Noon Monday before Board's Tuesday meeting
- Required clearances
- Sheriff security, Health Officer sanitation
- Nonprofit fee exemption
- Yes, if no private profit, Sec. 6.16.080
Summary
Any outdoor gathering of 1,000 or more people for a musical, theatrical, or fair-type event in unincorporated Mendocino County needs an Outdoor Festival License from the Tax Collector under Code Section 6.16.020, approved in advance by the Board of Supervisors after Sheriff and Health Officer review.
For the purpose of this chapter, "Outdoor festival" shall mean and include any outdoor gathering of one thousand (1,000) or more individual persons for the primary purpose of attending or participating in or observing any of the following events to which the public is admitted, with or without the payment of admission charges: (A)A musical or theatrical performance. (B)A fair, meaning any exhibition of crafts, of agricultural or industrial products, or of any other handiwork or product. Unless otherwise exempted, it is prohibited and unlawful for any individual, partnership, corporation, organization, or other person to promote, operate, maintain, conduct, advertise, lease property for, or sell or furnish tickets or other types of authority for admission to, any outdoor festival unless a license permitting the outdoor festival has been issued by the Tax Collector of the County of Mendocino after approval of the Board of Supervisors.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
010 as any outdoor gathering of one thousand or more people, admitted with or without a charge, held primarily to attend a musical or theatrical performance or a fair (an exhibition of crafts, agricultural or industrial products, or other handiwork). 020 prohibits anyone from promoting, operating, maintaining, conducting, advertising, leasing property for, or selling tickets to such a gathering unless a license has been issued by the Tax Collector after approval of the Board of Supervisors. 030. 050. 060 requires the Board to act on a complete application at its next regular meeting, approving, conditionally approving, or denying it, and it may not deny a license or attach conditions on technical or frivolous grounds, nor deny based on performance content unless constitutionally unprotected. 070. 090; the Sheriff may also suspend and close a festival immediately for a riot or serious breach of the peace.
Violations & Fines
Promoting, operating, or advertising an outdoor festival of 1,000 or more people without a Tax Collector license approved by the Board of Supervisors violates Section 6.16.020. The Board can revoke an issued license after a hearing for disorderly conduct, intoxication or drug use on the premises, other law violations, or fraudulent statements under Section 6.16.090, and the Sheriff may close a festival immediately during a riot or serious breach of the peace.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what size does an event need an outdoor festival license in Mendocino County?
Who approves an outdoor festival license in Mendocino County?
Can the Board deny an outdoor festival license based on the type of performance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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