Street or sidewalk event
An event that uses a City street or sidewalk needs a clear plan for the units, which sit off the travel lane and away from the crowd flow the City approves.
Serving Bernalillo County
Special Event Permit and the Restroom Count in Albuquerque
The restroom count and site plan that go into a Special Event Permit application, with the 30-day notice the City's pages describe.
- Standard, ADA and trailer units
- Balloon Fiesta, festivals and parks
- Construction sites and crews
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Special Event Permit
Special Event Permit and Restroom Count: what it covers
Quick answer
An outdoor event that impacts three or more City departments needs a Special Event Permit, and the City's special events pages ask for 30 days' notice. The restroom count is part of the application, and the City's Cultural Services form suggests one toilet per 200 people, including ADA units, as a question on that form.
Not every outdoor event needs a Special Event Permit. The City's special events pages say the permit is required for outdoor events that impact three or more City departments. A block party or a small gathering in a yard may not need one, but a festival on City land usually does.
The application asks how many restrooms the event plans to provide, and the restroom count is judged with the site plan. Late filings are not guaranteed, so the count and the plan should go in with the 30-day notice.
Call with the event, the date, the location and the expected people. The technician prepares a count and a site plan draft, and tells you which City office to ask about the permit.
- Service area
- Albuquerque & Bernalillo County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (888) 351-0294
Warning signs
Signs you need special event permit and restroom count
Keep units out of travel lanes and off the path of the crowd. Keep the route to each unit lit after dark. Do not block a sidewalk or a fire access route with a delivery truck.
- An outdoor event that uses City streets, sidewalks or parks and has not been checked for a permit
- A restroom count left blank on the application
- A filing date less than 30 days before the event
- An event that affects three or more City departments and has no permit in progress
- A site plan that does not show where the restrooms sit
- A count that does not mention accessible units
Options
Types and options for special event permit and restroom count
Park festival
A festival on City parkland needs both the Special Event Permit and, for the units, the Park Use Permit. The two permits share the same site plan.
Multi-department event
An event affecting several departments is reviewed by each. The restroom count and the site plan are the items every department reads, so they are written clearly.
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Which events need a Special Event Permit?
Outdoor events that impact three or more City departments. The City's special events pages use that test, and the applicant confirms the group with the Special Events team.
A small gathering on private land usually falls outside that test. An event on City land, or one that uses City streets and services, often falls inside it.
If you are unsure, ask the Special Events team before you book. Questions go to the City's Special Events team, and the answer should be written down.
How does the 30-day notice work in practice?
The application goes in at least 30 days before the event. Late filings are not guaranteed, so the date is set well before the 30-day mark.
Thirty days is the City's stated notice. Build the plan backwards from the event date: count, site plan, application, then the delivery window. A plan that starts at day 25 is already late.
The rental company does not file the application. The applicant files it and the rental is booked against the approved plan.
What does the City's restroom suggestion actually say?
The Cultural Services rental application asks how many portable toilets and hand-wash stations the applicant plans, and it suggests one toilet per 200 people, including ADA accessible toilets. It is a question on a form, not a code requirement.
Attribute the suggestion to the form if you use it at all. Do not present it as a general rule for every event, because the City does not state it that way in the sources reviewed.
Our count uses the form's question as a prompt, and the number goes on the application so the City can review it.
What belongs in the site plan?
Each unit, its surface, the accessible route, the parking, the entrances and any hazard. A plan that is clear to a reviewer shortens the review.
Draw the plan to scale if you can, with each unit numbered. Mark the accessible unit clearly, and show the route from the entrance.
Keep a copy of the approved plan. The technician checks the placement against the plan on the delivery day.
- Each unit numbered on the drawing
- Surface for each unit, dirt or concrete
- Accessible unit and its route
- Parking, entrances and hazards
Who reviews the application?
The City's special events team and each department the event affects. The restroom count and the site plan are read by each reviewer, so they must be clear to someone who has not seen the event before.
Each department looks at its own part of the event. A street department reads the travel lanes, a park reads the surface and the units, and a public health reader looks at the count and the servicing. A clear count serves all of them.
A reviewer who finds a gap sends a question back, and the 30-day window does not stop while the question is open. Answering the first round quickly keeps the date.
What if the event grows after the permit is filed?
A larger crowd, a new stage or an extra day changes the count and may change the permit. Tell the Special Events team before the change, not after the event.
Ask the Special Events team how a change is handled. Some changes can be added to the plan; others need a new filing with its own notice period.
The rental company adjusts the units on the approved plan only. A count that is larger than the filed number needs the City's approval before the extra units arrive.
What does a complete application look like?
The event details, the date and hours, the expected people, the restroom and hand-wash count, the site plan and the contact for the event. A missing item is the most common reason a file is sent back.
Fill in every line before filing. A count left as a blank looks like a planning gap, and a site plan that is a rough sketch slows the review. Attach the plan at full size and keep a copy.
The contact on the application should answer the phone on the event day. Reviewers call the contact when a question comes up, and a missed call can hold the file.
- Event name, date, hours and expected people
- Restroom and hand-wash count, with accessible units
- Site plan with each unit numbered
- Contact name and phone for the event day
Our process
How our special event permit and restroom count visit works
Check whether a permit applies
The City's pages say a Special Event Permit is required for outdoor events that impact three or more City departments. The applicant confirms with the Special Events team whether the event falls in that group.
Set the restroom count
The count is set from the expected people and the peak, with accessible units included. The City's form suggests one toilet per 200 people including ADA units as a question, and the count is written on the application.
Draft the site plan
The plan shows each unit, the accessible unit's route, the parking and the entrances. The plan is attached to the application, because applications without one can be delayed or denied.
File with 30 days' notice
The application goes in at least 30 days before the event. Late filings are not guaranteed, so the filing date is set with the event date in view.
Deliver against the approved plan
The units are delivered and placed on the approved spots. Any change to the plan goes back to the City before the event, not after.
Bernalillo County
Why special event permit and restroom count is different in Greater Albuquerque
Special Event Permits in Albuquerque involve more than one City department, so the site plan is read by several reviewers. A clear plan avoids a round of questions that eats the 30-day window.
Events that use the river corridor or the foothill roads add access questions. The delivery route is written into the plan with the approach from the main road.
The City's special events team handles the questions about the permit. This site does not give a permit fee or a permit date, because neither is sourced.
Where we work
Special Event Permit and Restroom Count across Bernalillo County
- Special Event Permit in Albuquerque
- Special Event Permit in Rio Rancho
- Special Event Permit in Kirtland AFB
- Special Event Permit in Corrales
- Special Event Permit in Isleta
- Special Event Permit in Bosque Farms
- Special Event Permit in Cedar Crest
- Special Event Permit in Placitas
- Special Event Permit in Peralta
- Special Event Permit in Bernalillo
- Special Event Permit in Sandia Park
- Special Event Permit in Tijeras
- Special Event Permit in Los Lunas
- Special Event Permit in Tome
- Special Event Permit in Edgewood
- Special Event Permit in Algodones
- Special Event Permit in Belen
- Special Event Permit in Torreon
- Special Event Permit in San Ysidro
- Special Event Permit in Laguna
- Special Event Permit in Moriarty
- Special Event Permit in Santo Domingo Pueblo
- Special Event Permit in Estancia
- Special Event Permit in Cerrillos
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Park Event Restrooms and Park Use Permit
Unit placement that meets the City's park conditions, the site plan the permit asks for, and the notice period the Park Management Division needs.
Festival and Concert Restrooms
Unit counts, clusters near the stages and the food area, and a servicing plan for each day of a festival or concert.
ADA Accessible Portable Restrooms
Accessible units with the wider door, the grab bars and the clear floor space, placed on a level route the wheelchair user can reach.
Construction Site Portable Toilets
Crew-sized unit counts, placement that keeps the trucks moving, and servicing that keeps a multi-month site usable.
Guides
Read before you book
How Many Portable Toilets Does an Albuquerque Event Need?
The City's Cultural Services rental application asks how many portable toilets and hand-wash stations an applicant plans, and it suggests one toilet per 200 people, including ADA accessible toilets.
Park Use and Special Event Permits in Albuquerque
Two City permits can apply to a portable restroom at an outdoor event in Albuquerque.
Accessible Restrooms for Albuquerque Events
An accessible portable restroom is planned into the count of an Albuquerque event, not added on top of it.
FAQ
Special Event Permit and Restroom Count FAQs
When is a Special Event Permit required?
For outdoor events that impact three or more City departments, according to the City's special events pages. Confirm with the Special Events team.
How many restrooms does the permit ask for?
The application asks how many portable toilets and hand-wash stations the applicant plans. The City's form suggests one toilet per 200 people, including ADA units, as a question.
Can I file late?
Late filings are not guaranteed. File at least 30 days before the event.
What if my count changes after I file?
Tell the Special Events team before the change. A larger count may need a revised application, and the extra units should not arrive until the change is approved.
Who do I ask about the permit?
The City's Special Events team. Ask them directly about your event's permit requirements.