Special Event Permit

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The City of Fremont will permit events as allowed under State and/or regional directives, provided that the events go through the City's special events permitting process and the events follow any and all applicable State/regional guidelines.

Do I need a Special Event Permit?

A Special Event Permit is needed when:

An organized activity take place on private property AND requires a 1) temporary ABC license; 2) tent/canopy/stage/temporary structure permit; 3) uses vendors in or at the event; or 4) falls outside the generally intended use of the property (e.g. blocking the sidewalk, walking in the street, use of a parking lot, food truck event at a school, etc.)
An organized activity takes place on OR has impact on City of Fremont property, public facilities, sidewalks, medians, or street areas. Certain public properties within the City limits belong to other jurisdictions such as the Alameda County, Fremont Unified School District, and East Bay Regional Park District. In such cases you would need an additional permit from the appropriate jurisdiction.
An organized activity that takes place in a City Park, City Plaza, or Community Center.
Certain organized peaceful gatherings, protests, and political activities on City property may be exempted from the special event permitting process if the activity involves no set up, no sound amplification, and no equipment. Generally, most peaceful protests fall into the exempt category and do not require a permit or approval from the City. For such activities not requiring a special event permit, we ask a minimum 72 hours advance notice to be given to the City and the Fremont Police Department. Please contact Fremont Police Public Affairs Management Analyst Aly Flores at (510) 790-6947 or via email for additional information. To be exempt from the special event permitting process, all of the following criteria must be met:
- activity takes places on public property owned by City of Fremont. Please note certain properties in the City are owned by the Fremont Unified School District, State of California, East Bay Regional Park District or other jurisdictions. Organizers should check with the jurisdiction directly regarding requirements for activities held in those properties;
- activity involves only sitting or standing of attendees on the ground; no chairs, tables, tents, canopies, platforms, or stages allowed; no set up of any kind is allowed;
- attendees may voice their speech or concerns vocally without the use of any equipment; no whistles, blow horns, microphones, speakers, or amplifiers allowed;
- attendees may hold signs or other materials on hand to express their speech, but no such signs, banners, or materials can be placed on the property, or obstruct the access to, access thru, or use of the property;
- attendees may not prevent other individuals from access to the property, or access thru the property to enter other private property; if activity takes place on a sidewalk, attendees must quickly clear the path for any pedestrians coming thru;
- activity adheres to all other City of Fremont Municipal Code, such as, but not limited to, those pertaining to noise level.

Special Event Permit Application Information

Classes of Permits

Class I - Neighborhood Block Party
Class I (2 consecutive days or less, fewer than 500 people, no City services)
Class II (2 consecutive days or less, fewer than 500 people, vehicle-based gatherings, City services needed/required)
Class III (2 consecutive days or less, 500 people or more, no City services)
Class IV (2 consecutive days or less, 500 people or more, City services needed/required)
Class V (2 non-consecutive days or more and/or more than 1 time in a calendar year; series)

View information for events in a City Park or Community Center.

Application Forms

Low Impact Events: Application for Neighborhood Block Party and Class I Permits
High Impact Events: Application for Class II, III, Class IV, and Class V Permits
Alcohol License Approval: Request for Law Enforcement Approval for ABC

When is the Special Event Permit application due?

All new events, regardless of the impact, should be submitted 6 months prior to the event date.
Established events that require at least one of the following: 1) road or sidewalk closure(s); 2) anticipated attendance of 500 people or more; or 3) is a recurring event (Class III, IV, or V), must submit a completed permit application no later than 90 calendar days before the event date. Examples of these events may include: Parades, street festivals/fairs, food truck events, farmers’ markets, etc.
Established events that anticipate attendance of fewer than 500 people (Class I or II), must submit a completed permit application no later than 30 calendar days before the event date. Examples of might include: Little League™ parades, block parties, small holiday tree lighting, etc.
Late fees are $5-$10/business day.
If you are applying to the Special Event Sponsorship Program (SESP), your special event permit application is due at the same time of your SESP application submission. Refer to the SESP page for more information.

Submitting the Application

All applications must be returned to the Plans & Permit Counter 1) in person or 2) by mail to:

City of Fremont Development Services Center
ATTN: Special Event Unit
39550 Liberty Street
Fremont, CA 94538

Payment is due upon submission. Upon receipt of your application, the City will assign a coordinator to help guide you through the permit process.

Overview of Process

Prior to submission of a special event permit application, you may reach out to City staff to determine if a permit is needed, or which permit application is appropriate for your event.
Event organizer submits special event permit application
City of Fremont reviews application, to include soliciting input from various City departments
City of Fremont informs event organizer regarding additional information or permits needed, including but not limited to:
1. Site plan, parking plan, and/or traffic detour plan
2. Tent and/r stage permit
3. Alameda County health permit
4. Daily ABC license
5. Property owner permission
6. Certificate of Insurance
7. Event program
8. Vendor business licenses
9. Security plan
10. List of personnel operating certain activities
Event organizer provides additional information and document requested,
City of Fremont provides service cost estimates (if any), deposit requirements (if any), and supplemental conditions for issuance of a special event permit
Event organizer agrees to supplemental conditions and pays any applicable fees/deposits
City of Fremont issues Special Event Permit

General Resources

Site Plan

Stages and Tents

The City has implemented an online submittal process using the City's Citizen Access portal. The online submittal process must be used for all tents and stages permit.

Tents

Temporary tent structures are defined as a structure, enclosure, or shelter with or without sidewalls or drops, constructed of fabric or pliable material supported by any manner except by air or the contents that it protects. Permits are required for temporary tent structures based on the 2019 CA Fire Code, Chapter 31. A permit is required to erect or operate an air-supported temporary structure or tent having an area in excess of 400 square feet for any purpose.

Exceptions: Tents open on all sides which comply with all of the following requirements:

Individual tents having a maximum size of 700 square feet.
The aggregate area of multiple tents placed side by side without a fire break clearance of 12 feet, not exceeding 700 square feet.
A minimum clearance of 12 feet to all structures and other tents.

Stages

Effective January 2019, all stages, including temporary stages at special events, will require a building permit from the City. This is a change in the California State Building codes due to accessibility requirements. Moving forward, all stages, regardless of height and size, would require a separate building permit from the City of Fremont.

Exemption to the City of Fremont stage/building permit may be granted if the stage is located in a separate jurisdiction, specifically in the following areas where you would need to work with that jurisdiction directly to obtain their stage permit.

Ohlone College
Schools and Property of Fremont Unified School District
Alameda County Buildings
East Bay Regional Park District

Reference Documents:

Environmental Services Resources

*Special events serving more than 2000 people per day are required to recycle according to State law (AB 2176). ANY event taking place on public property is required to recycle.

Banner Guidelines

Street Banners are intended to promote local events sponsored by local non-profit groups by allowing groups to announce their events on street banners. View the guidelines below:

At the time of application for a special event (Chapter 18.194 the City’s municipal code) a non-profit organizer may apply to post a street banner (on select streets only). The special event application must include a clear replica for each proposed banner or banners, including any text that will appear on banners, for each proposed installation.
An event means an activity that takes place within the City of Fremont at a venue that is open for attendance by the general public without restriction based on the person’s status or membership in a protected class.
A non-profit event banner means a street banner that announces an event or series of events where the event proceeds, if any, will directly benefit a non-profit organization.
A non-profit organization means an entity organized and operating under, and in full compliance with, Internal Revenue Code sections 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(6).
A street banner means any pennant, streamer, flag, sign, picture, figure, or other object, regardless of the material of which it is made, which is suspended or otherwise displayed over any public street, way or place, designed for decoration or advertisement, or to attract the attention of passersby. Street banner does not mean official warning devices, public service facilities, street lights, and the like.

Banner Content

Name of the event, not to exceed eight words and 50 letters
Name of the charitable or non-profit organization who is the permit applicant, and, if the name of the organization is in a language other than English, the English translation of the name
Date of the event
Time of the event
Location of the event
If desired by the applicant, either a telephone number or web address for persons to obtain additional information concerning the event.

Note: A for-profit entity may receive sponsorship recognition on non-profit event banners limited to the name and logo of the for-profit sponsoring entity. The size of the name and logo shall be limited to less than 20% of the total area of the banner. One sponsorship recognition is allowed per banner.

Duration

The duration of a non-profit street banner permit shall not exceed 30 days. The applicant may apply for one additional 30 day extension. Non-profit banners may not be used for more than 60 days in a 12 month period to announce the same event, whether the event is a single event, series of events, or periodically recurring event.
The term of each permit shall be stated on the special event permit.

Installation & Removal

The following requirements apply to the installation and/or removal of a non-profit street banner:

Banners must be removed promptly by the licensed contractor.
If the licensed contractor removes any existing banners, those banners must be delivered to the City of Fremont, Special Events Manager, and re-installed when permitted street banners are removed.
Street banners may only be installed by a licensed contractor who has a business license to conduct business within the City of Fremont.

Contact Information

For questions regarding banners that are not related to a special event, please contact the City Manager's Office at (510) 284-4015.

Fees

Special Event Permit Application Fees (Fees for Parks events varies)

*Effective February 14, 2013, the following application fees will apply:

Permit Type	Fee
Class I - Neighborhood Block Party	$20
Class I (2 consecutive days or less, fewer than 500 people, no City services)	$50
Class II (2 consecutive days or less, fewer than 500 people, City services required)	$75
Class III (2 consecutive days or less, 500 people or more, no City services)	$150
Class IV (2 consecutive days or less, 500 people or more, City services required)	$200
Class V (2 non-consecutive days or more and/or more than 1 time in a calendar year; series)	$200

*Additional fees will be determined upon review of the application.

Fees for City Services

The City strives to keep fees as low as possible by charging only for the cost of processing the application and services provided the day of the event. In addition to City services on the day of the event, other fees such as a building permit fee will apply for tents, stages, etc. Depending on the type of event, respective fees may vary. All costs of providing City services associated with a special event will require a deposit if the cost of City services exceeds $5,000.00. Refer to the City's master fee schedule for details.

Late Fees

Permit Type	Late Application Fee
Neighborhood Block Party (Class I)	None
Class I & II	$5/business day
Class III, IV, and V	$10/business day

Event Advertisement

Once your application has been approved and you have complied with City requirements and conditions, you are permitted to have your event. It’s advised that you do not advertise your event until you have met with the City’s Special Event Committee and/or have tentative approval for your event. Please keep a copy of the permit with you at all times during the event.

Failure to apply for a Special Event Permit (12.25.120) is a misdemeanor and may be subject to citations.