Close the street to traffic for a recurring event

Temporary permits for events before April 1, 2023

You can apply for a temporary permit for recurring street closures that end before April 1, 2023.

• Temporary permits are free
• Temporary permits do not require a site plan or documentation of neighborhood support

Legislated permits for events after April 1, 2023

For recurring street closures on or after April 1, 2023, you must apply for a legislated permit.

• Legislated permit fees vary depending on when you apply
• You must provide a site plan and documentation of neighborhood support in your application

We will ask you about: 

• Your contact information 
• Business Account Number (BAN), if you have it
• Proposed location 
• Time you want to use the space 
• How you want to use the space
  • “Run of show” listing the times for set-up, event activities, and breakdown/clean-up.
  • Staffing – for barricades, security, cleaning, etc.
  • Public/private – whether the event is free and open to the public; ticketed (whether or not tickets or free); or private/restricted (e.g., to organization members only, etc.).
  • Whether there will be any entertainment, music, or amplified sound.
  • If alcohol is being served, details on what is being served, by whom, and what license arrangements will be pursued.
  • Security arrangements – overall security plan, including number of staff assigned to function, and name of security company if applicable.
  • Estimate of attendance and of crowd capacity of space; arrangements for when event nears capacity.
  • Waste management and recycling plan.
  • Proposed outreach plan to inform residents and businesses on the block(s) to be closed, and other impacted stakeholders, of your request to close the street. Outreach is generally best conducted after applying and consultation with ISCOTT/SFMTA Special Events staff, but if some outreach has already been done, describe as part of the event write.
  • Water plan – San Francisco legislation restricts the sale or distribution of packaged water at ISCOTT-permitted events with more than 100 attendees. Most events that are not either athletic or dance parties will not require any water plan.  
• The activities you want to do in the street space  
• The furniture, equipment, or other physical objects you want to use in the street space  
• The layout for these activities 
• If you want to serve alcohol 

For events after April 1, 2023, you will need to upload:

• A proposed site plan
• Documentation of any community outreach and support

It will take about 10 minutes to fill out this form.

We will email you in 10 business days to talk about next steps. 

We will tell you if you cannot close the street for your event. 

If your street is a good fit for a Shared Space, we will work together on the next steps. 

If your application is better suited for another type of permit, we will let you know. 

We will work together to complete our process. 

You may need to prepare: 

• Insurance documents, such as proof of general commercial liability and workers compensation 
• Site plan should consist of a to-scale drawing(s) showing the street, sidewalk, stages, booths, fencing, barricades, and any other objects placed within the requested closure area and include the following, as applicable:
  • All streets to be closed – accurate and to scale, and including features such as parklets, sidewalk bulb-outs, transit islands, bike share stations, and curb cuts/off-street parking access.
  • Emergency access lane (14 feet minimum; wider may be required) running straight through all closed blocks.
  • Number and location of booths, with food and/or beverage booths clearly indicated.
  • Stages (with ramps shown) and tents, if any.
  • Beer gardens or other alcohol sales areas, if any.
  • Number, location, and type of recycling and refuse containers.
  • Portable toilets (and hand washing stations), including those which are ADA compliant.
  • Any fencing.
  • Space for monitored bicycle parking (for events with 2000 or more attendees).
  • Any other physical objects that will be placed on the street or sidewalk.
  • Muni routes, transit shelters and bus stops.
  • Manhole and utility covers in the street.
• Additional neighborhood support from n​​​earby businesses and residents, local merchant or resident associations, or District Supervisor 
• Other permits for certain business activities (see below)

We will work with you to issue a permit and make sure you follow all safety rules.

SFMTA will ask you for:

• Certificate of Insurance with required language (Waiver of Subrogation)
• Additional Insured endorsement Certificate of Insurance with required language (Waiver of Subrogation)
• You will receive barricades and paper or metal “no parking” signs from the SFMTA (as part of your permit fee