Fee Waiver Program

Introduction and Applying

Recently, Mayor Breed proposed waiving city fees for a variety of special events such as night markets, farmers markets and other outdoor community events. Legislation was subsequently introduced at and passed by the Board of Supervisors to enact this policy by establishing a fee waiver program for city departments. The legislation also urged the SFMTA Board of Directors, which has jurisdiction over its own fees, to consider waiving the fees as well, and this was approved by the Board in August.

The Board of Supervisors designated SFMTA as the agency that will administer this program.  The program is currently under development, and it is anticipated it will begin operations in late August.

Requests for fee waivers can be made through the online fee waiver program application once it is live. Unfortunately, informal requests prior to then can’t be considered. Also, applications for special event street closures previously submitted or permitted are not eligible for fee waivers.

Fee waiver applications will be accepted for proposed events to be held on San Francisco public streets with closures approved by the Interdepartmental Staff Committee on Traffic and Transportation (ISCOTT). (Events in the city’s parks or elsewhere are not eligible for consideration.) The proposed event must be at least 90 days in the future. Applications for fee waivers will be reviewed and a decision given within one week, with the exception of events planned under Muni overhead lines, which may take a little longer. All applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be approved for fee waivers. Applicants will then have one week to submit a complete application to ISCOTT for a special event street closure.

Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible for a fee waiver, the applicant must be one of the following:

• Nonprofit arts and culture organization that provides programming in San Francisco; or
• Small business with less than $5 million in annual gross revenue that has a physical place of business within or adjacent to the area in which the proposed event would take place; or
• A merchant or resident association that represents the area in which the proposed event would take place (Home Owners Associations are not considered resident associations); or
• An official Community Benefit District (CBD), also known as Business Improvement District (BID), or Cultural District that serves the area in which the proposed event would take place.

You will be asked to provide information to verify your eligibility.

Event Eligibility

To be eligible for a fee waiver, a proposed event must meet certain criteria, as follows.

1. The event is primarily intended to attract residents and workers from neighboring areas.
2. The event is free and open to the public.
3. If incorporating amplified sound, the event does so for a maximum of six hours.
4. The event occupies a maximum of three continuous blocks or occupies streets in a hub-and-spoke pattern within a one block radius from a central intersection; or is a night market occupying up to six continuous blocks along Irving Street between 19th Avenue and Great Highway, Noriega Street between 19th Avenue and Great Highway, or Taraval Street between 19th Avenue and Great Highway.
5. The event is a single-day event that involves a street closure for no longer than 24 hours for all event activities, with public programming taking place outdoors within the hours of 8:00 am and 10:00 pm.
6. As determined by the SFMTA, the event does not:
   1. impact Muni Metro, streetcar or cable car operations;
   2. require the rerouting of an SFMTA Rapid Line;
   3. require substituting trolley buses or rail cars with motor coaches;
   4. restrict direct access by SFMTA vehicles to rail stations;
   5. require the SFMTA to shut down electrification of overhead wires;
   6. impact major streets; or
   7. unduly disrupt vehicle or pedestrian traffic.
7. For an event that primarily takes place on Recreation and Park Department property, the event does not involve the closure of any street that would not contain public-facing programming during the event.

Additional Information

Each applicant or event sponsor is eligible for fee waivers for up to 12 events over the course of a calendar year.

Closures of blocks that require the rerouting of any SFMTA transit service are only eligible for three fee waivers per calendar year, regardless of the applicant. (Note that events that require the rerouting of an SFMTA Rapid Line are not eligible for a fee waiver.)

Fees subject to waiver include application, permit, staffing and inspection fees assessed by specific city departments/agencies:

1. SFMTA fees and costs associated with the special event, including but not limited to ISCOTT application fees;
2. Department of Public Health fees, including but not limited to fees for Temporary Food Facility permits;
3. Fire Department fees;
4. Entertainment Commission fees, including but not limited to One-Time Event Permits, One-Time Outdoor Amplified Sound Permits and Sound Truck Permits; and
5. Police Department fees.