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 person in direct control of the amplified sound equipment on the sound truck(s)</li>
 <li>The confirmed event details, date, hours, route description, route map of the event with the sound truck(s)</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 need to upload required documents, including:
<ul>
 <li>The permit to use the street, like an SFPD Parade Permit or SFMTA Temporary Street Closure Permit</li>
 <li>Route map, showing the route of the soundtruck(s) on City streets from starting point to ending point</li>
 <li>For <a href="https://www.sf.gov/fee-waiver-for-an-event-permit" target=blank>fee waiver</a> requests only: you will need to upload your required documents.</li>
 </ul>

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

Get a sound truck permit

Applicant information

Event sponsor

Outdoor sound equipment can't operate more than 12 hours. If you want to operate before 9am or after 10pm, you may be required to present at an Entertainment Commission hearing in advance of your event.

Include your sound-check time here if applicable.

Event information

For any sound truck in motion, we need a description of the route. Use this format: “Start: Street Name & Street Name, northbound on Street Name, westbound on Street Name…End: Street Name & Street Name.”

Tip: Take a screenshot of an online map and draw the route as a line from start point to end point.

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

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Depending on your event location, this application must include permission from the land agency or the property owner/manager that oversees the property. An example of this would be a Parade Permit from SFPD or a Temporary Street Closure Permit from ISCOTT/SFMTA. Answer the questions below, where applicable. </div>

You must upload any of the following:
<ul>
 <li>A copy of your approved SFMTA/ISCOTT Temporary Street Closure Permit</li>
 <li>A copy of the ISCOTT meeting minutes showing the street closure was approved </li>
</ul>

Required documents

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

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. 

Sound contact person

<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. 

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 a non-gated event, describe the safest routes for attendees to exit in case of an emergency (avoiding busy streets, dead ends, etc)

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.

Security plan

You are applying for a Sound Truck Permit. Unless we waive your fee, you will need to pay $555 after you submit your application.

<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

<a href="https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/san_francisco/latest/sf_police/0-0-0-49342"target="blank">Article 15.1 Section 1060.27 of the SF Police Code</a>

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>