Thank you

We permit and regulate entertainment for venues and events in San Francisco.

Entertainment Commission

You will need the following information:
<ul>
 <li>Contact information for the event organizer and the sound person </li>
 <li>The confirmed event details, date(s), hours, location(s) of the entertainment/amplified sound </li>
 <li>The plans for security and safety of persons and property at the event. You provide this by answering our security plan questions in the form</li>
 </ul>

You will also need to upload required documents. These include:
<ul>
 <li>Permit from the government agency to use the street or public property, or a permission letter from the private property owner or manager. We only need these docs for the locations of the entertainment or amplified sound.</li>
 <li>Information that proves you qualify for a <a href="https://www.sf.gov/fee-waiver-for-an-event-permit" target=blank>fee waiver</a>, if applicable.</li>
 </ul>

This application will take about 30 minutes. Once your start the form, you cannot save it and return later.

Apply for an entertainment permit for your outdoor event

Applicant information

Event sponsor

Use this format: Day, MM/DD/YY from XX:XX am/pm - XX:XX am/pm 

You are allowed up to 6 hours of outdoor entertainment or amplified sound per day. If you would like to request more than 6 hours, or after-hours (before 9am or after 10pm), contact entertainment.commission@sfgov.org. You may need to do neighborhood outreach and/or attend an Entertainment Commission meeting.

Event information

Provide the street closures, street address(es) or cross streets, sidewalk locations, private property or other type of location.

Provide the street closures, street address(es) or cross streets, sidewalk locations, private property address, or other type of location. Describe the geographic area(s) where this activity will take place. If the event location and entertainment or amplified sound areas are the same, enter “Same as above.”

Event location

Describe the nature of the event. What kinds of entertainment or amplified sound activities will take place? Example: Rock band, DJ, acoustic music, streaming playlist.

You must enter a specific number. Give your best estimate. If this event has happened before, you may consider the last event’s number of tickets sold, manual count at entrance points, and/or a count of wristbands or badges issued at entry points, where applicable.

You must enter a specific number. Give your best estimate.

To request an ABC Special Event Liquor License, contact the local Police District station for the evetn location and the CA Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC).

To request a Cannabis Event Permit, contact the SF Office of Cannabis and the CA Bureau of Cannabis Control.

Event details

Type of entertainment or amplified sound

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The Entertainment Commission needs the contact information of someone who will be in direct control of the sound equipment during your event. </div>

This must be the phone they will have on them at the event. 

Include the make, model, wattage, and number of speakers if you know it.

Sound details

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This application must include permission from the government agency or owner/manager that oversees the outdoor property, including any private commercial property. An example of this would be Temporary Street Closure Permit from SFMTA/ISCOTT, a Shared Spaces Permit (parklet) from SF Public Works,  or a Special Event License from the Port of SF. </div>

You are required to obtain a Street closure permit from SFMTA/ISCOTT. You will be required to upload a copy of your permit or ISCOTT meeting minutes.

You are required to obtain a Temporary Occupancy Permit from SF Public Works. You will be required to upload a copy of your permit.

You will be required to upload a copy of your Shared Spaces permit for the parklet.

You are required to obtain a Port Special Event license from the Port of San Francisco. You will be required to upload a copy of your permit or written approval from the Port Property Manager.

You are required to obtain a permit from Treasure Island Development Authority. You will be required to upload a copy of your permit.

You are required to obtain a City Hall Steps Permit from City Hall Building Management. You will be required to upload a copy of your permit.

You will be required to upload a permission letter from the property owner or manager stating that you (the applicant) have permission to use their property for the event.

Examples include Cafe Tables & Chairs permit from SF Public Works, Office of Community Investment and Infrastructure (OCII) property, SF Unified School District, SF Public Library, City College of San Francisco, or other City-owned property. We do not regulate activity on state or federal property.

You can upload as many files as you need. Each file must be less than 1 GB.

Required approvals

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The SF Entertainment Commission requires a Security Plan to be submitted with this application. 

By responding to the following questions, you will be submitting a Security Plan in accordance with Police Code requirements. 

The Entertainment Commission may require that the applicant make revisions to the Security Plan to address the safety and security of persons and property. </div>

Include how you will prevent attending crowds from blocking the sidewalk and spilling out into the street. You are required to secure the sidewalk for a 100-foot radius in all directions around the location of the event premises to prevent injury to persons and damage to property. 

For example, ID checks, pat downs, bag checks, or metal detectors.

You must staff all exits used by attendees during the event. This must happen within 100 feet of any entrance that attendees use to enter or exit the premises. You are responsible for the orderly disbursement of attendees and traffic from the premises. 

For example, if evacuation is required, you should designate staff to stop any music or performance and make an announcement over the PA to tell attendees to calmly and quickly exit the premises and go to a safer location, and describe where the emergency exits are located.

For a non-gated event, describe the safest routes for attendees to exit in case of an emergency. Include how you will avaoid busy streets, dead ends, etc.

Security plan

You are applying for a One Time Outdoor Event Permit. Unless we waive your fee, you will need to pay $540 - $558.

<a heref=https://www.sf.gov/fee-waiver-for-an-event-permit" target="blank">Review eligibility criteria for a fee waiver</a>.

Select all that apply. Review eligibility criteria for a fee waiver. (link to new info page about eligibility)

Events must be free and open to the public to be eligible for a fee waiver as a nonprofit.

Your budget includes all expenses related to the event such as artist fees, staff, equipment rental, booths, tents, stages, sound equipment, lighting, barricades, facility rental, permit fees (do not include Entertainment Commission permit), City personnel, like police officers and parking control officers, security officers, vendors, food and/or beverage, ticketing fees, volunteer meals/hospitality, marketing and publicity, water stations, zero waste/recycling, and event insurance. Include the total amount for all event dates in the permit application.

Make sure the letter is on your organization’s letterhead. Include the mission of your organization and its benefit to the community and how your event is free and open to the public. Your file must be less than 1 GB.

You may qualify for a fee waiver as a nonprofit organization or neighborhood association. Staff will review your information and follow up with a final determination.

Your business must have received a confirmation email from the Treasurer & Tax Collector (TTX) that your business has been approved for the FYF program. The First Year Free program waives permit fees for small businesses in their first year of operation. <a href="https://sftreasurer.org/business/first-year-free" target="blank">Learn more about First Year Free</a>.

The event sponsor, promoter, or venue participating in the event must be participating in the First Year Free program to be eligible for the First Year Free fee waiver.

You may qualify for a fee waiver as part of the First Year Free program. Staff will review your information and follow up with a final determination.

The City grant funding must be dedicated to the event that is the subject of this application, and not for past events or for the organization overall. Funds from the City includes grants from a City agency like Grants for the Arts or Office of Economic and Workforce Development. It also includes “addback” funding from Supervisors’ offices and “regranted” City funds from other organizations.

The event must have received funding from the City and County of San Francisco to be eligible for the city-funded event fee waiver.

Provide documentation showing these funds were awarded from the City agency, like an official grant award letter  or grant agreement, or email confirmation from the City official awarding the grant. Your file must be less than 1 GB.

Your event may qualify for a fee waiver due to receiving a City grant. Staff will review your information and follow up with a final determination.

You should have already received notification from SFMTA Special Events that your street-closure event has been approved for the Fee Waiver Program. The SFMTA fee waiver program is available to nonprofits and other community based organizations or businesses with less than $5 million in annual gross revenue that meet certain criteria. <a href="https://www.sfmta.com/fee-waiver-program" target="blank">Learn more about the MTA fee waiver program</a>.

The event must have been awarded a fee waiver from SFMTA to be eligible for the fee waiver.

You may qualify for a fee waiver as part of the SFMTA fee waiver program. Staff will review your information and follow up with a final determination.

Public benefits include programs like Social Security, Food Stamps or SNAP, CalWORKs, or similar programs. 

<a href="https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines" target="blank">View the current federal poverty guidelines</a>.

You do not qualify for the fee waiver for an individual with financial hardship.

You may qualify for a fee waiver as an individual with financial hardship. Staff will review your information and follow up with a final determination.

Fee waiver

Your BAN is a 7-digit number. If you don't know it, <a href="https://data.sfgov.org/Economy-and-Community/Registered-Business-Locations-San-Francisco/g8m3-pdis/data" target=_new>find your BAN</a>.

<div role="alert" class="d-flex flex-items-center bg-green-1 p-3 mt-5 mb-4">
 
 We found the business for your BAN.
</div>

<div role="alert" class="d-flex flex-items-center bg-blue-1 p-3 mt-5 mb-4">
 
 We found the business for your BAN but your business has more than 1 address.
</div>

<div role="alert" class="d-flex flex-items-center bg-red-1 p-3 mt-5 mb-4">
 
 We cannot find that BAN. <a href="https://data.sfgov.org/Economy-and-Community/Registered-Business-Locations-San-Francisco/g8m3-pdis/data" target=_new>Find your BAN</a>.
</div>

First Year Free fee waiver

Legal agreements

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Enter information for the primary business owner or director if you are a non-profit organization. We use this information to understand and improve how the City is serving all San Franciscans. It will remain private.</div>