SEPS, Santa Clara County's Online Special Event Permit System   allows event sponsors to apply online for a permit for their event.   Sponsors can also learn about the event permitting process, types of events, and fees.   County residents may subscribe to receive notices when special events such as bike races or walking events are scheduled on County-operated roads.

Helpful Notes When Applying Online for a Special Event Permit:

• Supporting Paperwork to Have Ready:   During the online permit application process, you might be asked to upload one or more files with additional information as attachments supporting your permit application.   While the PDF file type is preferred, the files can be of the following types:   pdf, zip, rar, doc, rtf, wri, txt, xls.  

• California Vehicle Code Compliance:   The County Special Events Ordinance requires general compliance with the California State and local Vehicle Codes, unless otherwise noted in your permit application.   Your event's Type Classification depends partially on the extent to which you expect to be non-compliant with the vehicle code.   The County Permit Desk's experience suggests that the majority of non-compliance instances result from the need to partially block roadway access,   or to override local traffic signs and signals by the presence of alternate signage or of identifiable authorized volunteers or uniformed law enforcement officers.   Furthermore, public health and safety regulations require that any road right-of-way blockages be quickly and sufficiently removable to allow emergency vehicles to pass through the event area.  

• Permits from Other Government Agencies:   Obtaining an event permit from the County Roads and Airports Department might be only one of several permits you must obtain for your special event.   Depending on the nature and extent of your special event, you might need to apply for permits from other government agencies.   For example:

  • Food sales - County Department of Environmental Health
  • County park use, i.e. parking, registration, swimming, picnic, trail use, ... - County Parks Department
  • Barbecue in a wooded area - County Fire Department and Fire Marshall
  • Other cities - Obtain permits from the cities as needed

• Links to Other Government Permitting Agencies:

  • SCC Department of Environmental Health - Temporary Events, especially where food is sold.
  • CA Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control - Special Event Permit Application Forms, if alcohol is sold.
  • County Planning Department's Building Inspection Office   if a stage or large tent/canopy will be setup.
  • SCC Parks and Recreation Department - Park Use and Event Fees.
  • SCC Fire Marshall - Special Use and Events,   especially if a tent or canopy 400 square feet or greater in floor area is to be used.
  • SCC Fire Department.

   SCC Roads and Airports Department Contacts and General Inquiries

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