Special Events in Tulsa
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 with a street closure must be
received by the City of Tulsa no later than sixty (60) 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 (40) days prior to the event.
Professional film-making and events without a street closure must
be received no later than thirty (30) days prior to the event. In
general, any organized outdoor activity involving the use of, or
having impact upon, public property, public facilities,
right-of-ways, sidewalks, street areas, or the temporary use of
private property including parking lots in a manner that varies
from its current land use, requires a permit. Carefully review the
cover letter attached to the application for additional information
on the purpose, requirements, exemptions, zoning, process and fees
of the permitting procedure, including the responsibility of the
event organizer. There is no fee associated to the
application.Please allow up to sixty (60) days for
the submittal, review, and final decision on the approval or denial
of this permit.
A Special Event Permit does not negate the additional
requirements of obtaining the proper Zoning, Health, Alcohol, Beer,
Tent, Park, Vendor and Amusement Ride Permits for an outdoor event.
You will be responsible to contact the below relevant agencies for
other specific permits and/or licenses.
- Tents: If you are placing a tent (no tent
stakes on public property), canopy, stage, or scaffold, etc. on
public property, private property, or parking lot, you will need a
Tent Permit and/or Building Permit. Please contact the
One-Stop-Permit Center at (918) 596-9601. Information on permits is
available online.
- Structures: If you are placing any
entertainment structure (i.e. amusement ride, inflatable, climbing
wall, etc.) on public property, private property, or parking lot,
you will need a Certificate of Operation. Please contact the
Oklahoma Department of Labor at (405) 521-6561. For information go
to www.labor.ok.gov.
- Beer and Alcohol: If you are selling beer
and/or alcohol at your event, you will need a Special Event City
and County Beverage License and/or Catering License including an
Oklahoma Tax Commission License. Please contact County Business
Licenses at (918) 596-5478 and City Business Licenses at (918)
596-7640. In addition, if selling or serving alcohol, you will need
to notify the Oklahoma ABLE Commission at (918) 581-2402.
Information on City of Tulsa Ordinances is available online.
- Food and Beverages: If you are selling,
serving, or giving away food or beverages including beer and
alcohol at your event, you will need a Food Service Permit. Please
contact the Tulsa Health Department at (918) 595-4322. For
information go to www.tulsa-health.org.
- Items: If you are selling any type of item at
your event, you will need an Outdoor Sellers License. Please
contact City Business Licenses at (918) 596-7640. For information
on licenses online.
- Wrestling: If you are hosting any type of
fighting and/or wrestling event, you will need to notify the
Okahoma State Athletic Commission at (405) 271-9444 X57993.
- Parks: 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.
- Neighborhood Block Party: If you are
organizing a daytime neighborhood block party involving a one-block
residential street, you will need to contact Working in
Neighborhoods (WIN) 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 City
services.
- Waste Management: 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, right-of-ways, 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. Glass bottles,
containers, etc. are not allowed within and around the outdoor
venue including the adjacent streets, right-of-ways, alleys and
parking lots.
- Recycling: The person responsible for a
community special event should provide recycling containers
throughout the venue. Following are key elements: 1. The number of
recyclable containers at special events should be equal to the
number of trash containers (a 1:1 ratio). 2. Recycling and trash
containers should be placed next to each other in areas throughout
the event venue. 3. Each recyclable container should be clearly
identified as a recycling receptacle and display a list of
recyclable materials accepted. 4. The event organizer can determine
the types of recyclables to be collected as long as the recyclables
include all aluminum and metal cans, glass (glass is prohibited on
public property) and plastic bottles and jars, and all mixed paper
and cardboard. 5. The event organizer must ensure that all
recyclable materials are delivered to a recycling facility and
not to a landfill. Please contact The M.E.T at (918)
584-0584. For information go to www.metrecycle.com.
- Portable Restrooms: 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. one chemical or
portable toilet 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.
- Music: 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.
Loud and unreasonable noise at any time of day or night (including
music) is a violation of City Ordinance. A police officer that
determines noise from your event is offensive to others may require
you to lower or discontinue the noise even though you have a permit
allowing such use. Generally, sound (music) levels should not
exceed 85 decibels via a sound mixer technician. Depending upon any
neighborhood complaints, the sound levels may have to be lowered
between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
- Insurance: Any Special Event which
necessitates the closing of a street or sidewalk, and any Special
Event which includes the serving or consumption of alcoholic
beverages and/or beer, must carry a policy of liability insurance
in the amount of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00). Such
insurance policy should be issued by an insurance company licensed
to do business in the State of Oklahoma. A certificate of
such insurance coverage, naming the City of Tulsa (175 East 2nd
Street, Tulsa OK 74103) as additional insured, must be on file with
the City of Tulsa before the Special Event occurs.
- Private Property: If your event is taking
place on private property, including parking lots, for any amount
of time, you may need a Zoning Clearance Permit. Please contact the
One-Stop-Permit Center at (918)596-9601. More information on
secondary permits is available online. Your event may require
approval from the City's Board of Adjustment, the exception to this
rule is in the Central Business District (CBD). Upon verification
with the Zoning Clearance officer, contact the Board of Adjustment
(BOA) at (918) 584-7526. For information go to www.cityoftulsa-boa.org.
Per the below instructions, type and complete the Special Event
Permit Application using Abode Acrobat. Any omission will delay the
Special Event Permit Application Process. Handwritten
applications and faxes will not be processed.
- Please download the
Special
Event Permit Application using Adobe Acrobat. If you
have the free version of Adobe Reader, you will be
able to type in the blanks on the application, but you will not be
able to save your work. Print each page as you complete it and do
not close your browser if you do not want to lose your work in
progress. Once you have completed the application and any required
attachments, print a hard copy and mail or deliver it to the City
of Tulsa Office of Special Events, 175 East 2nd Street, Suite
590, Tulsa Oklahoma, 74103.
- If you have the full version of Adobe Acrobat, you
will be able to download the application to your computer, type in
the blanks on the application, and save the information on your
computer. You will not lose information that you have saved. Upon
completion, you can attach the application and any required
attachments via an email to the Special Events
Coordinator. Your electronic submission will serve as
your electronic signature.
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!
