Carnival Permit

The applicant or owner of the carnival must attend a tenant buildout meeting 120 days prior to event day. These meetings take place at 8:30 a.m. every Tuesday morning in the lower level of the Municipal Center. This is a first-come, first-served meeting, in which the applicant or owner will meet with different City department representatives depending on individual needs.

Non-refundable fees for this permit: $18 Comm App. – clerical fee, $49 Comm App. – plan review, and $68 per each inspection. Please allow a minimum of ninety (90) days for City department representatives to process your carnival permit request. For additional carnival permit information, please visit the Special Events Resource Guide.

Requirements at Time of Submittal

  • Building permit contact sheet (electrician contact information must be included) 
  • Site plan
  • State of Illinois inspection certificate for each ride
  • Carnival police requirements
  • Certificate of Insurance (if the carnival will be on City property and/or in the City right of way)
  • Letter from owner authorizing land use (if the carnival will be on private property)

Additional regulations regarding this type of permit are detailed in the City's Municipal Codebook (3-4).

After reading the above, you may apply for a carnival permit by visiting the Civic Access portal. The Civic Access portal gathers all of the information needed to apply, pay for, and manage permits in one convenient place. It is designed for use on a desktop/laptop computer.

One-Stop Shop for Permits and Licenses

Customers apply for permits through the City’s Civic Access portal, which gathers all of the information needed to apply, pay for, and manage permits in one convenient place.

Visit the Civic Access portal

Building Permits