A Temporary Use Permit (TUP) is required for any special event held within the City impacting public property. If you’re planning a special event, please refer to the steps and resources below to support your application process. TUPs must be submitted at least ninety (90) days prior to your requested event date for large events and events in City parks, and at least thirty (30) days prior to your requested event date for small events.
Temporary Use Permit Process
Step 1: Download and complete the Temporary Use Permit application. Refer to the TUP checklist and resources below to assist with your application process and to identify any supplemental documentation that may be required.
Step 2: Submit your completed TUP application and supplemental documents. Applications can be submitted in three ways:
- Email: submit your documents via email to [email protected].
- Mail: mail your documents to: City of Oxnard, Attn: Samantha Shapiro, 300 W. Third Street, 4th Floor, Oxnard, CA 93030
- In-person: schedule an appointment to drop off your documents in person by calling 805-385-7447
Step 3: City staff will review your application for completeness and identify any missing information for initial review. From there, your application will be reviewed by various City departments. Based on the scope of your event, additional requirements may be identified during this review. If any adjustments or changes need to be made to your event so it meets City guidelines and requirements, you will be contacted.
Step 4:
Once approved, you’ll be notified and informed of any event conditions and outstanding fees. Please note: you are responsible for payment of all fees associated with your event.
The information below is intended as a resource for event organizers to assist with the application process. Please review this information while completing your application to ensure you address all requirements prior to submission. If you have specific questions about the process, please contact 805-385-7447 or [email protected].
- Application must be complete, including all required supplemental documents, with legible writing to be accepted. Please note: incomplete applications, or applications missing required plans, will not be accepted.
- If your event will be utilizing private property (e.g. parking lots, venues, facility), property owner or management company permission must be provided at the time of submission
- A complete application must be submitted at least ninety (90) days prior to your event for events taking place in City parks or with a significant impact to the City. For smaller events, an application must be submitted at least thirty (30) days prior.
- Outdoor assembly events must be approved by the Fire Code Official.
- The approved TUP document must be kept on-site at all times during the event.
- City staff has the right to shut down your event and/or deny future event requests if any unauthorized activities or alterations to your event are observed.
- It is the responsibility of the applicant to comply with all rules, regulations and conditions of the approved permit. Failure to comply with permit requirements or conditions may result in the denial of future TUP requests from your organization.
- Events organized by the City of Oxnard take precedence over other events if a scheduling conflict arises.
A non-refundable TUP fee is due at the time of application submission based on the tiers outlined below. Per Oxnard City Code, charitable, youth or nonprofit organizations may request a waiver* of the application fee. Eligible organizations are responsible for requesting this fee waiver at the time of application submission.
- Tier 1 Events: events for which less than 300 attendees are expected with no street closures on a single parcel. $204.75
- Tier 2 Events: events for which 300 to 1,000 attendees are expected and/or includes closure of North Fifth Street only. $362.25
- Tier 3 Events: events for which more than 1,000 attendees are expected and/or street closures are proposed. $908.25
- Additional fees may be required from City departments based on the event scope, included elements, and required services. Fees will be communicated to the applicant prior to the event date.
*This fee waiver only applies to the TUP processing fees. TUPs may be subject to additional fees or taxes imposed pursuant to the City code or other applicable regulations. All fees are the sole responsibility of the event organizer. Failure to pay these fees may result in denial of future TUPs from your organization.
The following activities are prohibited. TUPs including these elements will be denied unless these activities are removed from the request:
- Oversized cold air balloons or suspended helium balloons extending above the height of the building on the property
- Off-site signs placed on private property (except on approved billboards, and for which a City encroachment permit has been issued)
- Flashing, scintillating, moving, or color-changing signs, and trailer signs
- Signs, structures, or activities which may be unsafe
- Sewage or gray water discharged upon or into parking lots, alleys, streets, public easements, landscaping, planters, etc. Any such discharge must be directed into approved facilities and only with prior approval from the City
Prohibited special event activities in City of Oxnard parks:
- Fireworks
- Golfing
- Staking or digging in turf
- Projectile weapons
- Smoking or vaping
- Animals off leash
Site Plan: all events are required to submit a comprehensive event site plan and/or route map for events that include moving routes. The site plan must include total dimensions of the event footprint and all proposed activities inside that footprint, including but not limited to: tent structures, stages, canopies, generators, food booths/trucks, vendor booths, bleachers, beer garden(s), parking areas, equipment staging, fencing, restroom and hand washing stations, and trash containers. The site plan is a visual representation of your event and should include all stationary elements.
Events including moving routes must provide a route map including all times of impact and detail all proposed closures of streets, lanes, sidewalks, and other public rights-of-way including devices being used to block traffic.
Please label all items on your site plan, along with approximate dimensions. The Fire Department requires a 20′ clearance lane through your event for access by emergency vehicles and to ensure that your event is accessible to all. TUPs will not be accepted without a site map and/or route map if applicable.
Emergency Plan: an emergency plan is required for all events and must indicate exit routes and crowd control measures with approximate distances to areas of safe refuge where needed. This plan details how to respond to an on site emergency and can be in writing. This is required for all events and must be provided with your TUP submission. Generally, if an event is recurring and there have been no changes to the proposed plan, an emergency plan from prior years can be used.
The Fire Department will review the information provided and coordinate with the applicant to ensure emergency response plans are in place for the event.
Traffic Control Plan: a traffic control plan (TCP) is required for all events with street closures, intermittent traffic control, or impact to public rights-of-way. If traffic control is being provided by an outside vendor, the traffic control vendor’s insurance and contractor’s license must be verified prior to TUP approval. The following items apply to all TCPs:
- TCP shall adhere to all the guidelines as specified by the City’s Traffic Engineering Division.
- TCPs must include traffic control devices being used and identify all roads that will be closed and not usable for emergency vehicles.
- The TCP will be reviewed by the City’s Traffic Engineering Division, Police Department, and Fire Department.
- The Police Department will determine if police services are required for traffic control; if required, this cost will be the responsibility of the applicant.
- Applicant is responsible for notifying in writing all businesses and private properties within a 700 foot radius of the event regarding street, lane or sidewalk closures and significant disruptions.
Parking Plan: a parking plan is required for all events with over 100 attendees anticipated. It is the responsibility of the organizer to identify appropriate parking to support the anticipated attendance.
- If off-site parking is proposed, a map and/or details must be provided indicating how participants will safely move between the off-site parking location and the event venue. This may include a shuttle service or other methods to move between the parking location and event venue.
- If crosswalks are not located within an appropriate distance, the Police Department may require intermittent traffic control to create a temporary crosswalk for attendees to safely travel between the parking location and event venue.
Any generators, stages, bleachers, grandstands, tents over 10×10, or structures that will be constructed will require a permit through the City’s Building Division. Plans must be submitted directly to the service counter located at 214 S. C Street, Oxnard, CA 93030. For specific questions about permit requirements, contact 805-385-7925.
Your TUP number is required for all building permit submissions. Building plans should be submitted at the time of TUP submission to ensure adequate time for review, revisions and approval in advance of the event. Failure to submit plans within this review time, typically 60-90 days prior to your event request, may result in certain elements of your event being denied.
Generators
Applications that include electrical generators, not hand carriers, with capacity in excess of two (2) 110-volt outlets must provide the following information when submitting for a permit through the City’s Building Safety & Engineering Division:
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- Information on generator capacity
- Information from electrical contractor on the proposed grounding method
- Electrical contractor will be required to sign the permit and present workers’ compensation insurance and a Business Tax Certificate
- All generators require a permit
Portable generators must comply with the requirement set forth in the California Fire Code (CFC) Section 1204. All generators will be reviewed by the City’s Building Division and the City’s Fire Department to ensure compliance with these requirements prior to approval. An approved permit must be granted before installation of the generators at the event.
Generators shall be installed no less than 10 feet from combustible materials and shall be isolated from the public by physical guard, fence or enclosure installed no less than three feet away from the internal combustion source. Each generator shall be provided with an approved portable fire extinguisher. CFC 3106.6.2
Tents:
All tents require verification that the tent fabric material has been certified by the State Fire Marshal for flame resistance of CPAI-84. Any questions related to this requirement can be directed to the Deputy Fire Marshal at 805-385-7797. Tents or combinations of tents must be setback from property lines or other buildings by no elss than 10 feet (for up to 1,500 sq. ft. of floor area), 30 feet (for up to 15,000 sq. ft. of floor area), or 50 feet (for over 50,000 sq. ft. of floor area).
Tents larger than 10′ x 10′ require building permits and plans must also include:
- Size of tent and distance from the tent to buildings, property lines, and other tents
- Manufacturers’ specifications and listing information for any heating equipment demonstrating it is suitable for use inside a tent
Tents larger than 30’ x 30’, or tents with seating and/or side walls, must include the following:
- Location of seating, including handicapped seating and accessible path of travel to and from the seating area
- Location and size of exits
- Provide wet stamped and signed certification/calculations from a civil or structural engineer that the tent is adequately guyed, supported and braced to withstand a wind pressure or suction of up to 10 lbs. per sq. ft. The poles and their supporting guys, stays, stakes, fastenings and similar supporting members or devices shall be certified to be of sufficient strength to resist the 20 lbs. per sq. ft. In addition, tents with sidewalls must be designed to resist wind loads in accordance with the 2007 California Building Code and ASCE7-05.
- Temporary structures in excess of 400 sq. ft. shall not be erected, operated or maintained for any purpose without first obtaining approval and a permit from the fire code official and building official.
Note: copies of prior certifications/calculations for other locations or previous installations in the same location cannot be accepted. If similar installations are planned within the City, a prototype certification/calculation package can be submitted with a wet stamped and signed letter from the engineer stating the package can be copied and re-used with their permission by a specific client. This prototype certification/calculation package can be copied and used for up to two years or until the engineer’s stamp has expired.
Bleachers, Stages, and Structures
Applications that include bleachers, stages, or structures must provide:
- Calculation or certification from a structural, civil, or other qualified registered engineer may be required. The structure of the bleachers shall be sufficient to support the proposed loads.
- Provide an existing plan showing location, width, and configuration of exits.
- A plan indicating location of handicapped access seating
- Any element requiring assembly, such as bleachers, stages, stacked seating, etc., requires review and approval from Building Safety & Engineering. Vendors must obtain required permits before the TUP will be released.
Note: state accessibility laws require that wheelchair areas shall be an integral part of any seating plan, and shall be arranged so as to provide persons with disabilities a choice of admission prices and line of sight comparable to those of the general public. At least one companion seat shall be provided next to each wheelchair seating space. The number of spaces shall be 1 space for up to 26 persons, 2 up to 50, 4 up to 300, 6 up to 500, and one additional space for each fraction of 100 persons over 500 persons.
A full vendor list must be provided no later than thirty (30) days prior to your event. The list must include any vendor providing service to the event and participating in the event; the list must include the business name, address and phone number.
All vendors, including the applicant, must have an active business tax certificate with the City. The applicant may be able to obtain a blanket business tax certificate which will satisfy the requirement for some of the event vendors. For more information about this requirement or the blanket certificate, contact business licensing at [email protected] or click here.
Event organizers are required to coordinate sufficient trash, recycling, and organic waste (if applicable) bins and disposal for the requested event. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure materials are separated into the designated bins. The City’s Environmental Resources Division manages the reservation, drop off, pick up, and disposal of these bins for the specific event. It is the responsibility of the event organizer to make this reservation directly with Environmental Resources no later than thirty (30) days before the event date to ensure supplies are available.
Events with an expected attendance of 1,000+ individuals per day must arrange to recover the maximum amount of edible food that would otherwise be disposed of per Sections 19-160 (E-H) of the Oxnard City Code.
Size and pricing for dumpster and commercial bin rentals can be found here.
Insurance is required for all special events in Oxnard as they have the potential to impact the public right-of-way. A certificate of insurance, additional insured endorsement, and a primary noncontributory endorsement are required prior to the approval of all TUPs. Specific insurance requirements are included with this packet as Insurance Matrix – Exhibit A. Insurance coverage limits are subject to change based on the unique characteristics of each event.
Insurance documents must be submitted at the time of TUP submission in order to begin processing the TUP. Insurance certificates can be sent to [email protected] for processing and approval.
For special events held on City property, the City has insurance coverage available for purchase. Please contact the Risk Management Division of the Human Resources Department at 805-385-7578 for more information.
Any event requesting to use a City public park must complete a Parks Special Event Permit through Facilitron before submitting a TUP. This verifies the availability of the location and places a hold while the TUP is being reviewed. TUPs will not be accepted for events in public parks without prior submission of the Parks Special Event Permit. A $1,000 refundable deposit is required for any event at a public park. This deposit must be received to secure the location for the event. Additional fees may be required depending on the location. Park fees are subject to change with Council approval.
A comprehensive site map must be provided with your Parks Special Event Permit and TUP submission. After initial review, modifications may be required to the site layout in order to issue approval for the requested event.
Permits are required for all jolly jumpers included in your event plan. There is a limit of three jolly jumpers per event at a community park and all jolly jumpers must be rented from an approved vendor. A permit is required for each jolly jumper and can be submitted here. The fee is $25 per jolly jumper.
It is the responsibility of the applicant to identify and secure appropriate parking or shuttle service to support the impact of the event. Events in public parks will not be approved without an adequate parking plan.
The following additional requirements apply to all events in Plaza Park:
- Applications must be received at least ninety (90) days prior to the event date
- Event/use layout must comply with the Plaza Park layout template (included as Exhibit B)
- Any event organized by the City of Oxnard shall take precedence over other events. If a scheduling conflict arises between a city-organized event and another event, the City event will prevail.
- Private events, not sponsored or organized by the City, may not exceed two per applicant or group, per calendar year, and events must be separated by 30 days.
- For all non-City events, an application must be submitted for any event request, but reservations cannot be made more than 12 months prior to the date.
- Public Notifications: applicant must provide written notice to all businesses, merchants and residences surrounding Plaza Park. Applicants must use the standard template for Special Event Notifications and submit an affidavit of delivery (included as Exhibit C) and deliver notifications at least two weeks prior to the event.
- If an event is rescheduled for any reason, a new TUP and notice are required at the applicant’s expense. If an event is rescheduled at the request of the City, a new TUP is required but TUP submission fees will be waived.
- A minimum of two (2) handicap access restrooms and handwashing stations are required for events/uses that are two hours or longer in length
- Live music is limited to one performance at a time
- Amplified sound must end by 8 p.m.
Use of the Pagoda for event storage, entertainment, or other activities is not permitted. Requests to use the Pagoda for event decorations or electricity must be submitted in writing with the TUP submission. If approved, all event decorations must be placed and removed by Parks staff and coordination of this must be completed at least two weeks prior to the event. All decorations must be picked up no later than one week after the event date. Failure to comply with conditions of approval may result in denial of future requests and/or loss of the Parks security deposit.
Use of the City logo on event marketing, including flyers, social media graphics, websites, banners, or other promotional materials, is prohibited without prior approval from the City of Oxnard’s Communications Manager per the City’s logo usage policy. View the City’s policy regarding use of logo by third policies here.
For information on requests to use the City’s logo on event materials, contact 805-385-7593.
Responsible Beverage Sales and Service (RBSS) training is required for all people involved in or assisting with serving alcoholic beverages at the event site. The applicant is responsible for arranging RBSS training for all individuals serving alcohol at the event. To meet the new RBSS training requirement, any on-premises alcohol server or manager must register in the RBSS Portal, take training from an authorized RBS Training Provider, and pass the ABC Alcohol Server Certification exam within 30 days of their confirmed training. Persons successfully completing RBSS training will receive a card certifying completion. Further information on how to obtain the certification can be found at https://www.abc.ca.gov/education/rbs/ . Failure to comply with this requirement may result in shutting down alcohol service at the event and denial of future TUPs from the applicant.
Areas where alcohol will be served must be entirely fenced in with a security guard at the entrance and exit points verifying that alcohol is not leaving the approved, fenced in area. An individual must also be assigned to check identification and verify those purchasing alcohol meet the age requirements.
Additional insurance requirements are necessary if your event will have alcohol present. Refer to Insurance Matrix – Exhibit A for further details.
A separate license from the Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control (ABC) shall be obtained by the applicant and must be posted as required by law and presented to officials upon request. A copy of the ABC license must be provided to the City prior to issuance of the permit. Visit www.abc.ca.gov/licensing for more information.
The applicant must abide by all conditions set forth by the Oxnard Police Department and ABC. Failure to comply with requirements may result in shutting down alcohol service at the event and denial of future TUPs from the applicant. The City will not issue approval for a TUP including alcohol without a copy of an approved ABC license and proof of completion of RBSS training for all individuals identified as alcohol servers for the event.
Any event with food service or sales must comply with all state and County regulations related to food sales at community events. Permits must be obtained through the Ventura County Environmental Health Department for all temporary food facilities at Community Events. Permit requirements, timelines, and associated fees can be found here. This process must be coordinated directly with the County of Ventura. Contact the Ventura County Environmental Health Division at 805-654-2813 for more information related to these requirements. The applicant must provide proof of approval from the County Environmental Health Department before release of the TUP.
Food booths and food trucks cooking on site are not permitted to set up on turf at public parks; vendors with pre-packed, sealed food can set up on the turf.
Food vendors must comply with Food Booth/Vendor requirements set forth by the Oxnard Fire Department, outlined here. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all food vendors (booths and trucks) complete the Fire Department’s Food Booth/Food Truck Vendor Agreements.
Any event impacting public streets and sidewalks must ensure the location is returned to its pre-event condition within three (3) hours after the conclusion of the event. If the event will impact public streets or sidewalks, the applicant must provide detailed information on how the streets and sidewalks will be cleaned to return to pre-event condition (such as volunteers picking up trash, street sweeping, etc)
Events with a significant impact to streets and/or sidewalks (e.g. parades, marches, run/walk, cycle events) may be required to obtain street sweeping services to clean up after the event at the discretion of the Public Works Department. This determination will be made after evaluating the TUP, clean-up proposal, expected attendance, vendors and participants, and other event elements.
If street sweeping is determined to be required, the applicant must obtain a vendor approved to provide street sweeping service in the City of Oxnard and provide proof of the scheduling of this service prior to the release of the TUP. If the location is determined to not have been returned to its pre-event condition, the applicant will be billed for any associated cleanup costs incurred by the City. Failure to return the street to pre-event condition may result in future denial of TUPs for the event in question.
- Applicant must provide sufficient security staffing from a contracted security company to safely operate the event. The number of security guard will depend on the type of event, venue, attendance size, and whether alcohol will be served. Upon review, Oxnard Police Department will determine if the planned security is sufficient to safely operate the event. Police may require the applicant to provide additional security staffing and/or if Police personnel will be required in addition to the planned security staffing.
- If event attendance is significantly larger than what was estimated on the TUP and additional Police resources are required for crowd or traffic control, the applicant will be responsible for the cost of additional Police support at a double-time hourly rate.