DCASE Homepage  >  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.

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

(application works best in Google Chrome)

Please review the Special Event Permit Application Guide for guidance.

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 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

New 2023 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
https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/cdot/provdrs/construction_information/svcs/online-permit-portal.html