The Mayor’s Office of Citywide Event Coordination & Management (CECM) provides oversight on all public event policies, procedures, permitting, activities, and operations, including interagency coordination of approvals.
The Street Activity Permit Office (SAPO) division of CECM reviews and issues permits for all events occurring on public streets, sidewalks, and pedestrian plazas, including. Their defined Permit Types include the following:
- Clean-Up
- Farmers Market
- Health Fair
- Mobile Unit
- Open Culture
- Plaza Event
- Press Conference / Rally / Demonstration
- Production Event
- Religious Event
- Block Party (no vendors)
- Single Block Festival (with vendors)
- Street Event
- Street Festival
Through their electronic application system, E-Apply, SAPO serves as the repository and clearinghouse for all information related to special event applications and confirmed events.
Community District Offices are one of several City agencies (NYPD, FDNY, DOB, etc) that review and approve aspects of the CECM/SAPO documents on E-Apply. This District Office is responsible for reviewing and commenting on applications for permits within the boundaries of Brooklyn Community District 2.
The following event types are not directly managed by SAPO:
- Events in a park or on a sidewalk adjacent to a park are permitted and managed directly by the Parks Department.
- Processions, parades, and races which occur on a City street are permitted and managed directly by the NYPD.
SAPO Review Process
All applications initiated on E-Apply are assigned a lead SAPO reviewer. Events may require approval or permits from other City agencies, including Community District Offices, who communicate with each other and with the applicant through the E-Apply portal. It is the responsibility of the applicant to monitor their E-Apply account for messages, respond to all requests, secure all necessary permits, and provide all documentation in a timely manner.
E-Apply is the best single source of information regarding an application’s status. Applicants can also contact their assigned SAPO reviewer in that portal.
Appeals
Applicants may appeal a SAPO determination within five (5) business days of receipt by writing to the Director of SAPO at 100 Gold Street 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10038.
If the Director of SAPO denies the event, the applicant has the right to appeal within five (5) business days of receipt, by writing to the Executive Director of the Office of Citywide Event Coordination and Management at 100 Gold Street 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10038.