Navajo County, AZ Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)

Section 1911 governs short-term uses on unincorporated, non-reservation land, and it applies even where its rules are stricter than the underlying zoning district. Outdoor special events covered include transient amusement activities such as carnivals and circuses, temporary faith-based assemblies including tent revivals, seasonal festivals, outdoor sales events like sidewalk and parking-lot sales and auctions, and outdoor art and craft shows and exhibits, which are limited to a maximum of two times per year and no more than five days per event. Every one of these uses requires a Special Event Permit (SEP) issued by the Director, and the application must include a description of the use, a site plan, the proposed dates, daily hours of operation, and written authorization from the property owner.

The county caps most SEPs at one per parcel at a time with no overlapping time frames. Fees follow a schedule the Board of Supervisors adopts, and the Director may require a cash bond of up to $5,000 to cover cleanup if the permittee leaves the site in unsatisfactory condition, refundable once the site is restored. Performance standards attached to every SEP cover noise (no disturbance of neighboring properties' peace and quiet), on-site parking with rights-of-way kept open, a location that is not hazardous or heavily trafficked, County Health Department sanitation compliance for waste and wastewater, one on-site sign no larger than six square feet removed at permit expiration, shielded lighting with no searchlights, and any required Sheriff's Office or Health Department permits obtained before the event starts.