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 on-site manager</li>
 <li>The confirmed event details, date(s), hours, location(s) of the entertainment</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>For a location with 50 or more occupancy: A copy of the SF Fire Department’s temporary or permanent Place of Assembly permit. We will also accept a copy of the application payment receipt from the Fire Department showing us that you are currently applying for the Place of Assembly.</li>
 <li>Floor plan showing how the venue will be set up for the event. On the floor plan, show the locations of the entrances, exits, security guards, and where the entertainment will take place.</li>
 <li>Temporary Event Health Permit or the business’s Food Permit to Operate from SF Public Health, if you’re serving food or beverage to the public.</li>
 <li>If you are not the property owner, you will need to submit a permission letter from the property owner/manager.</li>
 <li>If you're requesting a <a href="https://www.sf.gov/fee-waiver-for-an-event-permit" target=blank>fee waiver</a>, you will also 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 an entertainment permit for your indoor event

Applicant information

Event sponsor

Event information

You will also need to <a href="https://www.sf.gov/get-entertainment-permit-your-outdoor-event" target=blank>apply for a One Time Outdoor Event permit</a> from the SF Entertainment Commission.

Event location

Give a detailed description of your event and the planned activities. Tell us what kinds of entertainment activities will take place

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.

Event details

Type of entertainment

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Before the Entertainment Commission can approve your permit, you will need to provide the following. </div>

A temporary or permanent Place of Assembly permit from the SF Fire Department is required for a venue with 50 or more capacity.
If you do not have this permit, call the SF Fire Department Permit Desk at 628-652-3260. You will need to apply for the permit in person at the Permit Center at 49 South Van Ness. A fire inspection and fire watch may be required.
If there is no Place of Assembly permit for this event, then the Entertainment Commission will require that your venue's capacity be 49 or less during the event.

You can upload a copy of the venue’s Place of Assembly permit, a copy of the temporary Place of Assembly permit, or a copy of the payment receipt from SF Fire for applying for the temporary Place of Assembly permit. 

The floorplan can be hand-drawn, but it should be easy to read and understand. On the floorplan, show the locations of the entrances, exits, security guards, audience, and where the entertainment will take place.

This would be either the Temporary Event Health Permit for the event, or the establishment's Food Permit to Operate. If you do not have this permit, contact the SF Department of Public Health's Environmental Health Branch https://www.sf.gov/organize-food-vendors-special-community-event. 

Upload a letter, email, or contract from the property owner/manager approving your use of the property for the event

Examples include load-in times, soundcheck times, event hours, performer line-up and schedule, load-out times. If you already have a document with this information, please write "Schedule Attached" in this field and upload the document below.

Required documents

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">You are required to submit a Security Plan with this application. 
 
By responding to the following questions, you will be submitting a Security Plan according to SF Police Code requirements. Revisions to the security plan may be required.</div>

For example, include if parents or chaperones will be required to accompany all people under 18 years.

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

A security plan may include separating persons under the age of 21 from persons of legal drinking age.

Based on your approved occupancy number from the SF Fire Department, the law requires you to hire at least one security guard for every 100 attendees present at any one time.

Include if you will delegate internal staff, hire outside security staff, or both. If hiring outside security staff, include the name of the company. If using both, include a breakdown of how many of each you will have. 

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, checking IDs, 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. 

Best practices include alerting attendees where the closest emergency exits are located upon arrival or before the performance begins, making sure that staff or volunteers direct attendees to the nearest emergency exit in case of an emergency, and stopping the entertainment activity and announce over the PA system the need for attendees to evacuate the premises as calmly and quickly as possible.  

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

Security plan

<div style="white-space: pre-wrap;">This is the person who will be at the event and responsible for managing the event. </div>

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

On-site event manager

You are applying for a One Time Indoor Event Permit. Unless we waive your fee, you need to pay $573.

<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, facility rental, permit fees (do not include Entertainment Commission permit), City personnel like police officers and 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.

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>