Getting Permits For Events
How to tell if the event needs a permit?
1. It has live music or live DJs.
2. It expects up to 49 people or more to stay inside at the same time.
If both of these are true for the event, then the event need a "One Time Indoor Entertainment Event Permit" from the San Francisco City & County Government's Entertainment Commission.
IMPORTANT: Please get the permits as early as possible, to give time allowance for any unforseen circumstances.
DEADLINE: The completed application and materials are due to SF Entertainment Commission no later than Seven (7) days prior to the proposed event. Important: You may need to contact other City departments for permits and approvals; contacting them at least 2 weeks prior to the event will ensure you have enough time to prepare if any inspections and corrections are required.
Process[edit | edit source]
Step 1: What's needed:[edit | edit source]
Develop your event security plan. This plan should:
1. provide name, cell number, and email of the on-site event manager
2. provide at least one security guard for every 100 persons actually present at any one time during the entertainment
3. secure the sidewalk for a 100-foot radius in all directions around the location of the event premises to prevent injury to persons and/or damage to property;
4. provide for the orderly disbursement of persons and traffic from the premises and within 100 feet of any door that patrons use to enter or exit the premises.
5. include sufficient staff with the required experience to carry out the security plan
TL;DR -- A) give contact info of emergency contact, who is a person that will be physically present there during the event. B) 2,3,4,5 just means that there should be an emergency and/or evacuation plan just in case.
Step 2: Fill Out The Form[edit | edit source]
1. Please go to this link: https://sfgov.org/entertainment/permit-applications
2. Please look for "One Time Indoor Entertainment Event Permit" and fill it out online (There's a link that says "Apply Online"). If it needs a signature, you can use an online service for e-Signatures. The one that was recommended to me was https://www.hellosign.com/, but if you know something better, then feel free to use that, and add it here in the wiki! ^_^
(TO DO: Add example of previous form, but block out Bernice's contact info from it.)
Step 3: Handling Permit Fees[edit | edit source]
There is a fee.
https://sfgov.org/entertainment/fees-pay-online
If The Fee Cannot Be Waived[edit | edit source]
Then follow the instructions to pay the fee.
1. Check here to see how much the fee(s) cost: https://sfgov.org/entertainment/file/1148
2. Pay the fee(s) online: https://services.paysf.co/service/entertainment-commission
Else If The Fee CAN Be Waived[edit | edit source]
But the fee can be waived if it follows the criteria in that link.
Please email these people in the sfgov.org Entertainment Commission, who will approve the form and waive the fee:
"Stewart, Crystal (ADM)" <crystal.stewart@sfgov.org> https://sfgov.org/entertainment/crystal-stewart-kennedy
maggie.weiland@sfgov.org -- https://sfgov.org/entertainment/maggie-weiland
dylan.rice@sfgov.org -- https://sfgov.org/entertainment/dylan-rice
These people work with the Entertainment Commission (https://sfgov.org/entertainment/contact-us), and these 3 in particular have helped with Noisebridge's Halloween Party 2018.
This form needs to be emailed to them, to waive the fee:
https://sfgov.org/entertainment/file/1024
When emailing that PDF after it's answered, sfgov.org needs a letterhead explaining why the event fits the criteria of waiving the fee(s). Noisebridge does not have a letterhead, but an explanation in the body of the email should suffice.
If you need inspiration for what to write, this is the template of the email to send them:
Subject:
Application For Permit Fee Waiver: Noisebridge [name of event] ([day of the week], [Month] [day], [year])
Body:
Hi Ms. Stewart, Ms. Weiland, and Mr. Rice:
On the eve of <[day of the week], [Month] [day], [year]>, from <[start time]> to <[end time]>, Noisebridge will have a special event: a <[name of event here]>, which is free and open to the public.
Here is the Meetup page for the event: <[put link to Meetup or event page here]>
Noisebridge would like to request approval of these 2 permits for the event, and to waive the permit fee:
"
Permit: Fire Department (up to 49 persons)
Permit: One Time Indoor Event (includes live music, DJs)
"
We have already submitted the form online for "" in https://sfgov.org/entertainment/permit-applications and this email is to notify you and at the same time request the permit fee to be waived.
As in the past, Noisebridge doesn't have a formal letterhead, but here's the message with the explanation about why Noisebridge's application fits all of your criteria for an exemption/waiver of the fees for the permits/event:
Noisebridge is a nonprofit makerspace that welcomes everyone to come and use the tools here. Noisebridge is open and welcoming to all, providing infrastructure and collaboration opportunities for anyone interested in programming, hardware, crafts, science, robotics, art, and technology. We teach, we learn, we share. With no leaders, we have one rule: "Be excellent to each other". Noisebridge is an educational non-profit CA corporation for the public good, and we have 501(c)(3) tax exempt status.
Here is more information about Noisebridge: https://www.noisebridge.net/wiki/About
Our total budget for the <[name of event here]> is $0.00, because everything in Noisebridge, including the <[name of event here]> itself, is contributed by and donated by the people who go to Noisebridge regularly. But we certainly invite everyone to come to Noisebridge, especially if it's their first time. Nobody is turned away for lack of funds.
Please let us know if there's anything else that you need, or if we need to do anything else, or if you have additional questions.
Thanks in advance for all of your help. Take care, and live long & prosper.
~<[your name here]>