Tulsa is a city that celebrates special events. This page includes the City of Tulsa's Special Event Permit Application and instructions developed to guide you through the permit process. Please read carefully.
Special Event Permit Applications requesting a street closure must be received by the City of Tulsa no later than ninety (90) days prior to the actual date of your event and may be submitted as early as one (1) year before your event. A street closing in conjunction with an event inside an adjacent auditorium, theatre or stadium must be received no later than forty-five (45) days prior to the event. Public outdoor events without a street closure (e.g. parking lot) must be received no later than forty-five (45) days prior to the event.
In general, any organized outdoor activity involving the use of, or having impact upon, public property, public facilities, rights-of-way, sidewalks, street areas, or the temporary use of private property in a manner that varies from its current land use, requires a permit. Land use regulations may reference public outdoor activities on a parking lot or private property by serving beer, wine or spirits (liquor), entertainment with live music (sound amplification), fireworks, amusement rides or inflatables, or which has the potential of impacting public property or public safety services.
On behalf of the City of Tulsa, we thank you for contributing to the spirit and vitality of our community through the staging of your event. Best wishes for a successful event!
Updated September 11, 2024 | 4:30 p.m.
Carefully review the application rules and checklist.
A Special Event Permit does not negate the additional requirements of obtaining the proper Health, Alcoholic Beverage, Tent, Park, Vendor, Sales and Amusement Ride Permits for an outdoor event. You will be responsible to contact the relevant agencies for other specific permits and/or licenses. A Special Event Permit is revocable.
Major Event shall mean any outdoor Special Event organized and conducted that utilizes Public Rights-of-Way (streets, alleys, sidewalks). This includes using private property in conjunction with public property. The Major Event permit fee assessed shall be Two Hundred Forty Two Dollars ($242 plus system fees). This fee is nonrefundable.
Minor Event shall mean any outdoor Special Event organized and conducted that utilizes solely private property. The Minor Event permit fee assessed shall be Eighty Dollars ($80 plus system fees). This fee is nonrefundable.
Monthly Event shall mean any outdoor Special Event organized and conducted that utilizes public or private property for a recurring event and/or closure at the same location on multiple dates in the same calendar month, if no changes are made to the Site Plan and/or Traffic Control Plan. The Monthly Event permit fee assessed shall be governed by whether it is a Major Event or Minor Event.
CITY SERVICE FEES: View any potential cost recovery fees for police, fire, and/or other city services, online.
If you are placing a tent (includes inflatable type dome), canopy, stage, or scaffold, etc. on public property, private property, or parking lot, you may need a Tent Permit and/or Building Permit. Tents 400 square feet or less (e.g. 10 x 10, 10 x 20 or 20 x 20) do not require a Tent Permit. Tents over 400 square feet (e.g. 20 x 25 or larger - includes below tent groupings) do require a Tent Permit. If a tent permit is required, must obtain a tent permit before erecting a tent. Tent stakes driven into the ground, street or tent straps attached to poles are prohibited on public property. Please contact the One-Stop-Permit Center at (918) 596-9601. The tent permit application is available online and requires submittal of the application ten (10) days prior to the event. Review below Tent requirements:
Tents 400 square feet or less (e.g. 10 x 10, 20 x 20) not spaced per the below guidelines require a Tent Permit.
If you are placing any entertainment inflatables (i.e. amusement ride, inflatable, climbing wall, etc.) on public property, private property, or parking lot, you will need a Certificate of Operation and provide the City of Tulsa with the contact information. The Oklahoma Amusement Directory link provided here. The link to the Amusement Ride Program page here. Please contact the Oklahoma Department of Labor at (405) 521-6100. For information go to www.labor.ok.gov.
If you are selling and/or serving beer, wine or spirits (liquor) at your event, you must obtain a Public, Charitable or Special Event License from the Oklahoma ABLE Commission. In addition, provide plans to the City of Tulsa for outdoor beer, wine or spirits license premise enforcement prior to your event. Please contact the Oklahoma ABLE Commission at (405) 521-3484. The Public Event License is available online and requires submittal of the application sixty (60) days prior to the event. Take your ABLE License and Tax Commission Permit to City Hall to obtain your City of Tulsa Alcohol License. For requirements related to food or beverage sales at events, contact the Tulsa Health Department at (918) 595-4366. If applicable, food temporary licenses will be issued on-site.
If you are selling, serving, or giving away anything consumable such as food or beverages including beer, wine, or spirits at your event, you may need a Food Service Permit. Please contact the Tulsa Health Department Food Protection Services at (918) 595-4300. For information go to www.tulsa-health.org. If applicable, food temporary licenses will be issued on-site.
If any type of sales will take place at your event, this includes food trucks and item vendors, the Promotor/Organizer must provide the following documentation online prior to your event being approved:
If you are hosting any type of fighting and/or wrestling event, you will need to notify the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission at (405) 271-9444 X57993.
If you are utilizing a City Park for your event, you will need a Park Permit. Please complete an online form. For River Parks, contact (918) 596-2001 and for County Parks (LaFortune, Chandler) contact (918) 596-5990.
If you are organizing a daytime neighborhood block party involving a one-block residential street, you will need to complete a Working in Neighborhoods (WIN) application online thirty (30) days prior to the actual date of the block party. WIN will assist neighborhood block party organizers with the procedures how to access barricades, traffic control signage and other information.
You must provide adequate cleanup during and after your event. Failure to perform adequate clean-up immediately after the event each day within and around the outdoor venue including the adjacent streets, rights-of-way, alleys and parking lots and/or repair damages to city property and facilities due to your event will result in the City of Tulsa providing the services and billing the event organizer at cost recovery rates for clean-up and/or repair. Glassware is not allowed within and around the outdoor venue including the adjacent streets, sidewalks, rights-of-way, alleys and parking lots.
The person responsible for a community special event should provide recycling containers throughout the venue. Following are key elements:
You must provide portable restroom facilities at your event unless you can substantiate the sufficient availability of both accessible and non-accessible facilities in the immediate area of the event site that will be available to the public during your event (e.g., two chemical or portable toilets for every 250 people). Ten percent (10%) of restroom facilities must meet local, state, and federal accessibility requirements. No less than one (1) accessible restroom should be placed in each location designated for restrooms facilities and located on a level area not to exceed a 2% cross-slope in any direction. If a single restroom unit is placed in a location, it must be accessible. An accessible route to each portable restroom must be provided. The number of portable toilets can be determined based on your estimated peak time attendance. Your local portable sanitation service contractor's experience will help you in planning properly for any event.
In most cases, issuance of a Special Event Permit will serve as your approval to use amplified sound within your event venue as outlined in your permit application.
Applicant shall furnish the City of Tulsa, at least fifteen (15) business days in advance of the occupancy time of the permit, venue, escort, or road closure, whichever comes first, a certificate showing there is in force a general liability insurance policy with a bodily injury and property damage combined single limit of not less than $1,000,000 for each occurrence. Applicant shall include product liability insurance coverage in equal liability limits ($175,000 per individual and $1,000,000 per multiple individuals as the result of and single occurrence or accident) when concession sales are approved during the event. The applicant must be the named insured and the City of Tulsa must be named as an Additional Insured on the policies. The insurance company must be a company duly licensed to do business in the State of Oklahoma and listed in the Oklahoma 96th Annual Report and Directory of Insurance and Related Companies. The policy shall also provide for a minimum of thirty (30) days mandatory written notice to the City of Tulsa, in the event of cancellation or material alteration of the limits of the policy. Policies that show the City of Tulsa as an additional insured must include language to that effect in the Description Box. The name and date of the event must also be stated in the Description Box. Certificate of Insurance.
To better protect the rights and interests granted to Special Event Permit holders, to rationally regulate Special Events that have an impact upon public property, private property, facilities and City of Tulsa services, to manage traffic flow and parking, and to allow for emergency ingress/egress, there must be either a two (2) hour or two (2) block separation between Special Event venues that are requesting the same date, timeline and/or location. The 2-hour separation starts at the end of an event teardown to the start of another event set-up. The 2-block separation must allow for two-way traffic between the event venues, routes or courses. Event organizers may mutually agree to coordinate with each other without the 2-hour or 2-block separation but must be able to implement suitable detours, traffic control and allow reasonable access to businesses, facilities and residents including emergency ingress/egress and follow recommendations made by the Special Events Committee.