Special Events Permit Application

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Notice Regarding DCASE Special Events Application

Please be advised that the DCASE Special Events Application is exclusively designated for festivals and athletic events. Marketing activations are NOT permitted on public rights of way. Should you wish to conduct a marketing activation and obtain the City's permission, it must be situated on private land.

Sidewalks and streets are strictly prohibited for marketing activities.

For those seeking to host activities, Chicago Park District properties are available for such purposes. We kindly ask that you reach out to them directly for further assistance.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Online Special Events Permit Application

DCASE processes Special Events applications for outdoor festivals, street and art/craft fairs and athletic events.

Special Event Permits are subject to both the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois health and safety guidelines. All events must follow guidelines in place at the time of the event.

In an effort to make sure that the city has adequate resources to support your event, the city of Chicago discourages applications for new or moved special events during the following dates in 2024:

May 24-27
June 22-30
July 1-9
August 1-4
August 9-11
August 16-25**
September 13-16
October 11-14

In addition, new or moved events requiring support of the following police districts (1, 18, 12 and 14) will be heavily scrutinized due to a saturation of events in these areas.

Lack of appropriate resources to support your event is one of the reasons your permit could be denied. In the event that your permit is denied, city staff will provide their best effort to help you find a better date.

**Dates have been expanded to include August 16-25. Due to Chicago proudly hosting the Democratic National Convention, there will be increased demand for City resources to ensure its success including public safety and security. Special events requiring City services during this period may be asked to provide additional private resources or may be denied, in which case City staff will make every effort to help you find an alternative date.

Applications must be completed in full with supporting attachments to prevent delays in processing. Contact SEPermits@cityofchicago.org with any questions.

Apply Online
(application works best in Google Chrome)

Please review the Special Event Permit Application Guide for guidance.

Special Event Food Vendor Requirements Event Organizer's Checklist (PDF)

Outdoor events held in the City of Chicago must complete a Special Event Permit Application if the event

Will close City streets (street closures are not allowed for private events);
Will prepare Food on a public street/sidewalk or private property (open to the public);
Will sell/serve alcohol;
Will sell merchandise;
Have tent(s) larger than 20 ft. x 20 ft. (400 sq. ft.); OR
Have stage(s) taller than 2 ft.

Bar Crawls must also complete an application if the event

Expects to exceed 500 participants;
Includes 5 or more stops/participating establishments; OR
Includes 3 or more stops/participating establishments on the same street block.

DCASE Processing Fee

The nonrefundable processing fee for a Special Event Permit Application starts at $100 if submitted more than 60 days before the start of the event. The fee increases if submitted closer to the event. Applications may be submitted up to 180 days prior to the event and must be submitted at least 21 days prior to the start of the event.

NEW Timeline

$100 (60+ days prior to the event)
$200 (59 - 45 days prior to the event)
$500 (44 - 37 days prior to the event)
$1,000 (36 - 29 days prior to the event)
$2,000 (28 - 21 days prior to the event)
- Applications are not accepted less than 21 days prior to the event
- Processing fees are generated based on when the application is complete and ready for DCASE review

Events taking place on Chicago Park District property require an additional Park District Special Event Permit

Chicago Department of Buildings 2 week rule

14A-4-405.6 Denial of permit.

On and after March 1, 2023, when a temporary structure requires both a building permit and an Outdoor Special Event Permit under Section 10-8-335 of the Municipal Code, the building official must deny the building permit if a substantially complete building permit application, including substantially complete construction documents, is not received by the building official at least 14 calendar days before the start of the event.

Street Closure Application

If you will be requiring a street closure please complete the Street Closure Application

Expanded Outdoor Permits

Effective January 1, 2023, the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) will be overseeing the Extended Outdoor Dinning (EOD) Program. For further information please email cdotpermitsupport@cityofchicago.org or Visit the website

Chicago Park District Permit Application

Any outdoor events held on Chicago Park property require a completed Chicago Park District Permit Application. Chicago Park District Permit Application