Rancho Cordova, CA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- Special business license, RCMC Ch. 4.10 & 4.38
- Filing deadline
- 90 calendar days before event
- Security ratio
- 1 guard per 200 attendees
- Parking ratio
- Spaces = 1/4 of licensed attendance
- Damage bond
- $50,000 minimum or $10/attendee
- Cleanup bond
- $5,000 minimum, due within 72 hours
Summary
Rancho Cordova requires anyone sponsoring, promoting or selling tickets to an outdoor festival to obtain a special business license under RCMC Chapters 4.10 and 4.38, filed at least 90 days before the event. Licensees must supply security, sanitation, parking, lighting, fire protection and cleanup guarantees sized to the festival's licensed attendance.
§ 4.38.205. License required. No person shall sponsor, conduct, promote, advertise or sell or furnish tickets or other authority for an outdoor festival unless under and by authority of a valid, unexpired and unrevoked special business license authorizing the outdoor festival issued pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 4.10 RCMC and this chapter.
§ ... 4.38.210. Filing time. Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 4.10 RCMC, an application for a special business license to conduct an outdoor festival shall be filed not later than 90 calendar days in advance of the date the festival is proposed to commence.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4660102; v2 updated 2026-03-02; through 03-02-2026).
Full Breakdown
210 requires the application to be filed at least 90 calendar days before the festival is scheduled to begin. 045, subject to county health officer approval. 070 requires solid waste receptacles at one cubic yard per 250 attendees, serviced every 24 hours, with the site fully cleaned within 72 hours after the festival ends. 100 require the licensee to post a surety bond of at least $50,000 (or $10 per licensed attendee, whichever is greater) covering damage to neighboring property, plus a separate $5,000 bond guaranteeing post-event cleanup.
105, and the licensee cannot sell more tickets than the license permits. 110 overwhelm available security, or services on-site become inadequate to protect public safety.
Violations & Fines
Ignoring an order from the chief of police to terminate or disperse an outdoor festival under RCMC § 4.38.125 is unlawful. Because Chapter 4.38 sets no separate fine, RCMC § 1.01.190(E) governs remaining violations, such as running an unlicensed festival or exceeding the ticketed attendance cap: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far ahead must I apply for an outdoor festival permit in Rancho Cordova?
How much security does an outdoor festival need in Rancho Cordova?
What bonds does a Rancho Cordova outdoor festival organizer have to post?
Can police shut down an outdoor festival in Rancho Cordova?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rancho Cordova
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