Overview

Martin County Parks and Recreation requires a Special Event Permit for activities that are open to the public and held within unincorporated Martin County, including events held in a County park or on a County road.

Activities that are held on private property are not required to have a special event permit, unless those activities encroach upon County property, or include the sale of alcohol.

Our event team is committed to providing excellent customer service. We understand the importance of community events and the positive impact they have on the quality of life for residents and visitors. We look forward to working with you to make the permitting process as smooth and stress-free as possible.

What Qualifies as a Special Event?

A "special event" is any pre-planned entertainment, sporting, cultural, business, or other unique activity that is open to the public and presented to a live audience. Examples include parades, festivals, races, tournaments, concerts, and similar gatherings.

Special events may take place in whole or in part on property owned or managed by Martin County and may impact the normal flow of pedestrian or vehicle traffic, or temporarily change the typical use of a location or facility.

Activities that are not open to the public are not considered special events. This includes private indoor facility rentals, pavilion rentals, or other activities for which a separate County permit has already been issued.

How to Apply

Submit Application

To receive the Special Event Permit application, please contact our Special Event and Volunteer Coordinator at events@martin.fl.us.  After you submit the application, it will be routed to the appropriate County staff for review. 

Staff will contact the event organizer if additional documentation or information is required. Any applicable permitting fees will also be discussed during the review process.

Application Deadlines

Applications must be submitted at least 30 days before the event date. Events considered High Impact Events must be submitted at least six months in advance. A High Impact Event is any event, with or without alcohol, that involves a road closure lasting 12 hours or more or has an anticipated attendance of 5,000 or more people.

FAQs

All “Special Events” require a special event permit.

For all events, please contact Martin County Parks and Recreation at (772)221-1430 or email events@martin.fl.us.

There is an event fee, which is based upon the event impacts. Event fees may range between $50.00 and $1,100.00. Additional fees may include overtime cost, sheriff detail, and other services requested, i.e. dumpsters if applicable. All fees are due in full upon signature of the contract.

Martin County's Special Event & Volunteer Coordinator will coordinate County-related services with the promotor and advise regarding proper placement of equipment and rentals on County property. Port-o-lets, vendors, entertainment, fencing, etc. are the responsibility of the permittee. 

It is also the permittee’s responsibility to contact the Sheriff’s Office directly for any detail, and traffic/engineering for any road closures. If the event requires a road closure, it is the permittee's responsibility to contract with a barricade company based on the event route and size.

Fill out the Special Event Application including a site map and submit. Please allow up to two weeks for the application approval process. Once the application is APPROVED, the date is reserved. Only completed applications will be reviewed.

All fees are due upon signature of the contract.

Only a licensed vendor or a non-profit organization can obtain a permit to sell alcohol (Florida Statue 561.422). Contact the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.

If the event is canceled 90 or more days prior to the event, permittee will be refunded 100% of events fees; 89 to 46 days prior to the event, permittee will be refunded 50% of event fees; 45 days or less prior to the event no fees will be refunded.

Only in the event of an extreme act of nature (i.e. hurricane, brush fire), may the event be postponed, and all fees will transfer. The permittee must submit in writing for a postponed date. Other than stated above, Special Event Permits are rain or shine and cancellations due to weather will forfeit any and all fees and require a re-application for another date.

Contact Us

For any additional questions about the special events permitting process, please contact Martin County Parks and Recreation at (772)-221-1430 or email events@martin.fl.us.

Martin County Parks and Recreation
2401 SE Monterey Road
Stuart, FL, 34996

Contact Us