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Special Event, Occasional Event and Film Permits in Long Beach: Tiers, Fees and Lead Times

Checked against the city's pages: October 2026 By Dana Castellano 7 min read

Photo by Roman Kravtsov on Unsplash

On this page

In brief

A Long Beach special event permit is for an organized event on city property, including “any organized assembly of seventy-five (75) or more people”, and the application must be received at least 60 days before the event with a non-refundable fee of $102, $205 or $410 by tier. An occasional event permit for entertainment on a business’s own property is $150, and a film permit needs at least three full business days.

  • Special event fees are tiered: the permit is $155, $255 or $1,020 per day, plus venue, move-in and city property fees, and a 10 percent administrative fee on all of it3.
  • Applications “will not be accepted earlier than (1) year prior” to the event2.
  • An occasional event permit is a one-day permit for events “FULLY CONTAINED to private property”, limited to 24 a year, filed 30 days ahead5.
  • Commercial filming is a $368 application plus $525 per day on the schedule dated November 12, 2024; the FY27 proposal lists higher location fees that were not confirmed78.
  • Vendors at special events must get a Special Event Vendor Permit, applied for at least 10 days ahead10.

The city’s information about events sits with the Special Events & Filming office in the City Manager Department, separate from the Permit Center and the Health Department. This page is part of the sequence for starting a business in Long Beach because a business’s own event, a pop-up or a promoter’s license is where the business side meets the events desk. It covers the permit types, the tiers and fees as of October 2026, the lead times, and what the pages say about vendors and film. Nothing here covers a particular venue’s own rules.

The short answer

If you are… Do this
Holding an organized event on city property or the public right of way A special event permit; apply at least 60 days ahead and no earlier than one year ahead2
Expecting fewer than 75 people with little setup The page points to a Parks, Recreation and Marine “Permit to Gather” instead2
A business with no annual entertainment permit, holding entertainment on its own private property An occasional event permit, $150, filed 30 days ahead5
Shooting film or photography A film permit; at least three full business days of lead time6
Selling at a special event A Special Event Vendor Permit, at least 10 days ahead10
Wanting a reserved street parking space Not available here: the office “DOES NOT issue individual parking permits for occupying or reserving public street parking”1
Matrix of Long Beach special event tiers: Tier I is free to the public with no setup and a $102 application, Tier II is public without a ticket with minimum setup and a $205 application, and Tier III is ticketed with extensive setup and a $410 application.
The three special event tiers and what separates them, with fees as of October 2026.

The office

Special Events & Filming is at 5001 Airport Plaza Drive, Suite 130; phone 562-570-5333; Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The office also handles pole banners and block party permits1. The municipal code words the definition differently: Chapter 5.60 treats “Any organized assemblage of seventy-five (75) or more persons at any public place” as a special event, and organizers may owe “Departmental Services Charges”9.

The special event permit

The office defines a special event as “an organized large scale event on any public space, waterway, property, structure, or public right of way, owned or controlled by the City”, including “any organized assembly of seventy-five (75) or more people”. Applications “must be received at least sixty (60) days prior to the scheduled event” and “will not be accepted earlier than (1) year prior”. Promoters need a business license, available as a partial license for 3, 6 or 9 months or an annual license for year-round promoters2.

The process, in the page’s order2:

  1. Check date availability.
  2. Submit the application with the non-refundable fee for the tier.
  3. Receive the coordinator’s checklist, which includes insurance, a site map and an Operational Fire Permit.
  4. City department approvals follow, then staffing and an estimate of fees.
  5. Pay. Payment is “Cash or Check ONLY”.
  6. Sign by DocuSign or in person.

Tiers and fees

The tiers, as the fee page defines them, with a 10 percent administrative fee added to everything3:

Tier Meaning Application (non-refundable) Permit per day Venue per day Move-in/out per day
I Free, open to the public, no setup, no alcohol $102 $155 $305 $155
II Public, no ticket, minimum setup, or a private non-profit fundraiser $205 $255 $610 $305
III Ticketed, extensive setup, controlled access $410 $1,020 $1,020 $510

Source:3, as printed in October 2026. The page also lists a city property use fee per day of $305 for Tier I, $410 for Tier II and $510 for Tier III. Venue fees apply at Marina Green, Rainbow Lagoon, Shoreline Park, beaches, waterways, the Promenade and the Rainbow Harbor locations; for Harry Bridges Memorial Park and the Queen Mary the page says to call3.

Staffing is billed on top, under a heading “Rates Effective 10/1”: Police Lieutenant $171.42, Sergeant $146.11 and Officer $112.47 per hour, plus equipment; Police equipment $70.00 per vehicle per day; Fire spot check $150 per visit; Fire standby firefighter $110; Special Event Staff $65 per hour3.

Good to know The fee page prints old and new staffing columns together, and the heading does not state the year. The rates above are those under the “Rates Effective 10/1” heading; the city’s page is the place to confirm which column applies3.

Fire and food permits

The forms page offers an “Operational Fire Permit (OFP) | Temporary Assembly”, a “Tent & Structure Permit Application”, a Fire Performers Permit and a Drone Permit, plus the Health Department’s temporary food facility forms4. Fire’s fee lines for event permits are not on the pages used here; the construction-side Fire schedule is in Fire Permits and Inspections for Long Beach Businesses.

The occasional event permit

An Occasional Event Permit (OEP) is a “ONE (1) DAY PERMIT” for businesses without an annual entertainment permit that hold entertainment on their own private property. The page’s conditions5:

Condition Rule
Location “FULLY CONTAINED to private property”; not at a private residence or on City property
Lead time Submit 30 days ahead
Spacing At least 10 days apart
Frequency “limited to 24 instances a year”
Application fee $150
Late fee $50
Fire safety officer spot check $150 plus 10 percent administrative fee

Source:5, as of October 2026. The FY27 fee proposal moved the OEP fee from $102 to $150, which matches the page58. Short-term rental operators who host events beyond their occupancy limit are directed to an occasional event permit, four per registration year, in Short-Term Rental Rules in Long Beach11.

Vendors at special events

Vendors at special events are “required to get a Special Event Vendor Permit”. Unlicensed vendors pay the tax plus “a $38.00 field collection fee”; promoters pay “a $35.00 compliance fee per un-permitted vendor”; applications go in “at least 10 days in advance”10. The forms page also lists the Health Department’s temporary food facility forms4.

Film permits

The filming page sets the lead time at “at least three (3) full business days”. Insurance, typically “$1,000,000 in Commercial Liability”, is processed with Risk Management at least three business days before. A signature survey applies in residential and merchant areas: “Sixty-six percent (66%) approval” in residential areas from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and “eighty percent (80%)” outside those hours and always in merchant areas. Fees are paid before issuance, and further services are billed “due within 30 days of the invoice date”6.

Item Fee, schedule effective November 12, 2024
Student filming $35 (CSULB, LBCC and LBUSD $40; other schools $50)
Still photography $132 application plus $158 per day
Commercial filming $368 application plus $525 per day
Notification $245 per location or block
Revision rider $100
Staff monitoring $65 per hour

Source:7. The schedule adds a 15 percent city coordination fee on the total7.

Official pages disagree The film fee schedule is headed “EFFECTIVE 11/12/2024” and lists no location fee7. The city’s FY27 proposed-fees page lists a filming location fee moving from $1,020 to $1,200 per day and a new $4,000-per-day line8. Adoption of those lines was not confirmed on either page, so the table above is the only film schedule read, and it carries its 2024 date.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far ahead do I apply for a special event permit in Long Beach?

At least 60 days before the event, and no earlier than one year before it2.

How much is a special event permit in Long Beach?

The non-refundable application is $102, $205 or $410 by tier, and the permit is $155, $255 or $1,020 per day, plus venue, move-in and staffing fees and a 10 percent administrative fee3.

Do I need a permit for a gathering of fewer than 75 people?

The special events page says gatherings under 75 people with little setup may suit a Parks, Recreation and Marine “Permit to Gather”2.

What is an occasional event permit?

A one-day permit, $150, for entertainment held entirely on a business’s private property by a business without an annual entertainment permit; up to 24 a year, filed 30 days ahead5.

How long does a film permit take in Long Beach?

The page asks for at least three full business days of lead time6.

Can the special events office reserve street parking?

No. It “DOES NOT issue individual parking permits for occupying or reserving public street parking”1.

Sources

  1. Special Events & Filming — City of Long Beach, City Manager Department. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  2. Special Events — City of Long Beach, Special Events & Filming. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  3. Special Event Fees — City of Long Beach, Special Events & Filming. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  4. Special Event Application and Forms — City of Long Beach, Special Events & Filming. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  5. Occasional Event Permits (OEP) — City of Long Beach, Special Events & Filming. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  6. Filming — City of Long Beach, Special Events & Filming. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  7. Filming Fee Schedule — City of Long Beach, Special Events & Filming. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  8. New or Proposed Fees — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  9. Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 5.60 Parades and Special Events — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  10. Special Event Vendor — City of Long Beach, Financial Management. Accessed 2026-10-02.
  11. Long Beach Municipal Code, Chapter 5.77 Short-Term Rentals — Municode. Accessed 2026-10-02.