Special Events Permits

Special Events Permits

The Arlington County Office of the Fire Marshal reviews special events to help ensure safe conditions for attendees, vendors, staff, and emergency responders. Special events may include festivals, fairs, carnivals, markets, races, outdoor gatherings, concerts, block parties, and other temporary events where crowd management, temporary structures, cooking, fuel use, open flame, generators, or other fire code concerns may be present.

A special event fire code permit is required when an event creates conditions regulated by the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code or the Arlington County Fire Prevention Code. Special events may require review for temporary structures, cooking operations, LP-gas, mobile food units, open flame, pyrotechnics, emergency access, and other fire and life safety concerns.

Permit Fees

Special event permit fees are based on the expected number of attendees:

The permit fee schedule also notes that the inspection fee for LP-gas use at a special event is waived when a valid special event permit has been obtained. Fees may also be waived when the County’s special event fee already includes an inspection fee covering all agencies.

Application Requirements

Applicants should submit the special event permit application before the event and include enough information for the Office of the Fire Marshal to review the site layout, hazards, and emergency access. The application should include:

• Event name, location, date, time, and expected attendance.
• Applicant and on-site emergency contact information.
• A site plan showing tents, stages, booths, vendors, generators, food trucks, seating areas, fencing, barricades, exits, fire lanes, hydrants, and emergency access points.
• A list of vendors using cooking equipment, LP-gas, generators, open flame, or other heat-producing equipment.
• A list of tents, membrane structures, stages, or temporary structures.
• Any planned pyrotechnics, flame effects, fireworks, open burning, candles, or similar hazards.

The Office of the Fire Marshal may inspect the event site, vehicles, equipment, temporary structures, or operating areas before approving the permit.

Food Trucks and Mobile Food Vendors

Food trucks and mobile food units must be permitted in Arlington County before operating at a special event. Arlington requires a Mobile Food Unit permit for units using commercial cooking appliances, domestic cooking appliances used for commercial purposes that produce grease-laden vapors, fire protection systems, LP-gas, or portable fuel-fired equipment.

Event organizers should verify that each food truck has a valid Arlington County Mobile Food Unit permit before the event. Food trucks that are not permitted may not be approved to operate.

Food trucks and cooking vendors shall maintain required fire extinguishers, keep cooking equipment in safe operating condition, protect LP-gas cylinders from damage, and maintain required separation from tents, buildings, vehicles, combustible materials, and other cooking operations.

Tents and Membrane Structures

Tents and membrane structures must comply with the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code and Arlington County requirements. The Office of the Fire Marshal reviews and inspects tents and locations before approval. Tents must be anchored to withstand weather conditions and prevent collapse, and they may not be erected on buildings, balconies, or other structures.

A tent or membrane structure permit is required for:

• Tents or membrane structures larger than 900 square feet.
• Multiple tents separated by less than 12 feet when the combined area exceeds 900 square feet.
• Tents with more than 50 occupants.

Tent fabric must have flame propagation certification, and the certificate must be filed with the Office of the Fire Marshal before approval.

Cooking is not allowed under tents or membrane structures. Combustible materials such as hay, straw, or sawdust are prohibited, and smoking is prohibited under tents.

Cooking, LP-Gas, and Heating Equipment

Cooking appliances, open flame devices, grills, fryers, and other heat-producing equipment must be safely located and protected from public contact. Open flame, cooking devices, charcoal, LP-gas, and heat-producing equipment should not be located inside or within 20 feet of tents unless approved by the Office of the Fire Marshal.

LP-gas cylinders must be secured, protected from impact, located outside, and separated from tents, buildings, public ways, and ignition sources as required by the fire code.

Fire Extinguishers

Portable fire extinguishers must be provided where required by the Office of the Fire Marshal. At a minimum, cooking vendors should have properly tagged and serviced fire extinguishers suitable for the hazard. Vendors cooking with grease or oil should have a Class K extinguisher available.

Emergency Access and Site Safety

Event layouts must maintain emergency access at all times. Fire lanes, hydrants, fire department connections, exits, aisles, and emergency access routes must remain clear and unobstructed. Barricades, tents, stages, vendor booths, vehicles, fencing, tables, seating, and displays may not block access for emergency responders.

Event staff must monitor the site throughout the event and correct unsafe conditions immediately. The Office of the Fire Marshal may require changes to the layout, vendor locations, cooking areas, fuel storage, crowd control plan, or other site conditions before or during the event.

Pyrotechnics, Flame Effects, and Open Flame

Pyrotechnics, fireworks, flame effects, theatrical special effects, open burning, candles, and similar hazards require separate review and approval. Arlington’s pyrotechnic permit application includes indoor special effects, outdoor displays, flame effects, proximate audience displays, theatrical/stage use, operator information, supplier information, storage information, and insurance documentation.

No pyrotechnic or flame effect activity may occur unless approved by the Office of the Fire Marshal.

Inspection and Approval

Issuance of a permit prior to the event does not confirm that the event is compliant with the fire code and does not authorize unsafe conditions or code violations. The Office of the Fire Marshal may inspect the event before opening or at any time during the event. Any unsafe conditions, fire code violations, or violations of permit conditions must be corrected immediately. Approval may be withheld, suspended, or revoked if unsafe conditions are found, permit conditions are not followed, or information provided on the application is inaccurate.