Special events, block parties, and other street closures:

The Chattanooga Transportation Division manages the Special Event Permit. This is required for anyone desiring to temporarily close a city street(s) or portion(s) thereof. The Special Event Permit application may be downloaded here or obtained from the Transportation Department in Suite 3030 of the Development Resource Center at 1250 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN, 37402 or by calling (423) 643-5950. Applications are to be submitted with a $100 non-refundable application fee 90 days before the planned closure along with a Certificate of Insurance naming the City of Chattanooga as an Additional Insured and listing this address: 101 E 11th Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402. Applications will not be reviewed for approval until the application fee is received in full. Block parties outside the central business district with less than 50 participants may be submitted a minimum of 30 days before the planned closure and their fee is $25.

Printing of brochures, publishing routes, or committing to a specific date should not be done until after the permit has been approved. We will work to accommodate requested event dates and routes, but may be limited by the other activities or the availability of support personnel. Most events are permitted on a first come first serve basis.

Once an event is approved, the applicant will be sent a permit and a Traffic Control Plan. The Traffic Control Plan will detail the traffic signs, barricades and Chattanooga Police Officers required for the closure. The event organizer is to obtain, install, and remove the various traffic control devices required by the plan. These devices shall conform to the standards as specified in the current edition of The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. Failure to comply with the regulations set forth as stated on your approved permit can result in a court citation and a fine of up to $50.00 per citation and court costs. 

All permitted events are required to submit a certificate of insurance naming the City of Chattanooga as additionally insured.  Permits will not be issued until the application fee and insurance are received. 

For questions related to Special Events or to submit a Special Event Permit application, contact CDOT's Justin Strickland at: jwstrickland@chattanooga.gov

Signs and barricades can be rented. Four local barricade companies are:

A-1 Barricades - 624 Snow St, Chattanooga, TN, 37405 (423) 265-3054

Traffic Barrier Solutions- 1995 Dews Pond Rd, Calhoun, GA, 30701 (706) 263-0175

Superior Traffic Control - 2736 Kanasita Drive, Chattanooga, TN, 37343 (423) 402-1527

PLEASE NOTE: A NEW ONLINE APPLICATION SYSTEM IS NOW IN PLACE, PLEASE VISIT THIS LINK TO START THE PROCESS: https://chattanooga.gov/parks/special-events

How to permit an event in Chattanooga:

A single event may need several permits.

If at any point in the process you have a question, then you may call the Transportation Department at 423-643-5950 and request assistance from our Public Space Coordinator.

Our Events Checklist is also a good resource to make sure you have everything for your event. 

1) The first consideration is location: Each event will need one or more of the following permits based on where the event takes place. Answer the following questions:

Will the event require participants to be in or cross a City street?

If yes, then complete the Transportation Department's Special Event Permit application.  This street closure permit is fully explained after the chart below.

Will the event be in a City Park or Facility (list of City parks)?

If yes, then review the Park Event Calendars to check availability and make your Park and/or Facility Reservations by calling the City's call center at 3-1-1 or (423) 425-6311. Full details on reservations here.

Will the event be in a Hamilton County Park or Facility (list of County parks)?

If yes, then county park reservations are made by calling 423-842-0177. The TN Riverpark facility availability can be checked on their Rental Reservation Calendar.

Will the event be in the TN River?

If yes, then complete USCG & TWRA Marine Event Permits. These are for regattas, swimming, or other marine events on, over, or adjacent to navigable waters.

2) The second consideration is the activity: Each event may need one or more of the following permits based on what takes place. Answer the following questions:

Will the event include beer?

If yes, then call 423-643-5156 for a City of Chattanooga Special Event Beer Permit. The application fee is $250 and requires attending a Beer Board Meeting which are held the 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month. Applications are due 10 days before the meeting.

Will the event include liquor?

If yes, then call 423-634-6434 for a State of TN Alcoholic Beverage Commission Special Occasion License. The license is $100 per day. Applications must be received at least 14 days before the event.

Will the event have sound amplification?

If yes, then call 423-643-5800 to see if a City of Chattanooga Noise Permit will be required. There is no fee, but Applications must be received at least 15 working days before the event.

Will the event need to electrical power from street side receptacles?

If yes, then please contact EPB's Wendell Boring: 423.648.3254

Please download our Events Checklist to help ensure you have everything you need for your event to be permitted.  

The following chart shows all the steps listed above and it may be downloaded (EventProcess.pdf) with the links and contacts for each permit.

Community Notifications:

Special event applicants are required to document that proper notification has been made to all businesses and residents that are affected by an event's street closures. Once a date, time, and location have been determined with the CDOT, applicants will conduct notifications using this petition no later than 30 days prior to your event. The completed petition must be submitted before a permit will be issued.

Notification Petition

Flyer Notification Template

Transforming public places

Chattanooga's Transportation Department is accepting applications to transform public rights-of-way such as sidewalks, on-street parking spaces, travel lanes, and full street widths into active, inviting streets.  Pedestrian-centered projects expand public spaces, calm traffic, and increase safety for people who walk, bike, and take transit. They also encourage walking and bicycling, build a sense of community, and increase foot traffic for local businesses.  For more information on transforming public spaces, please visit our Transportation Resources site.