It depends on whose ground the event is on. Events on City of San Diego property or streets go through the Office of Special Events, county environmental health reviews temporary food events, and other cities and county land have their own offices. This guide explains how the pieces fit and what to ask each one.
Key takeaways
- The City of San Diego Office of Special Events handles events on city property and streets, and its guidelines ask for one toilet per 250 people at peak with 10 percent accessible.
- San Diego County Environmental Health and Quality publishes event guidance and a checklist for temporary food events, including handwashing and one toilet per 15 food employees within 200 feet of a booth.
- Chula Vista, La Mesa, El Cajon, Lemon Grove, Santee, Coronado, National City and Imperial Beach are separate cities, so each is expected to have its own permit office; ask city hall before you plan.
- The line and the provider do not issue or approve permits. The organizer applies, the office decides, and a provider supplies the units the plan calls for.
- This guide covers only the rules found in the sources listed; it does not state fees, deadlines or approval times, which you should get from the office itself.
Which office handles an event on City of San Diego property?
The City of San Diego Office of Special Events. Its special event guidelines ask organizers to provide one chemical or portable toilet per 250 people at estimated peak attendance, with 10 percent of facilities accessible, unless the immediate area already has enough public facilities. Contact the office for the current rules and the process for your event.
City property includes streets, plazas, many parks and the Mission Bay shoreline. Events in developed regional parks use a separate application that repeats the one-per-250 ratio and the 10 percent accessible share.
The guidelines go into detail on set-up. Each restroom location needs at least one accessible unit, on level ground with a 2 percent maximum cross-slope and an accessible route. A single unit at a location must itself be accessible. Standard units sit on a liner so spills do not reach storm drains, and accessible units may use sandbags. These details belong in your layout.
What does the county review?
San Diego County Environmental Health and Quality publishes event guidance and a checklist for temporary food events. The checklist asks for approved handwashing and one toilet per 15 food employees within 200 feet of the booth. County guidance has recommended about one toilet per 250 people, and an older policy used a higher ratio, so ask for the current figure.
The county's role is public health. For events with food, it is the office that reviews how booths wash hands, store food and handle waste. Its checklist is aimed at the organizer who admits vendors, not at each vendor alone.
The county also oversees waste hauling. A hauler that pumps portable toilets must be registered through the county's Sewage Hauler Operating Permit. That is the provider's obligation, not yours, and the servicing page explains how it fits together.
How do other cities and county land fit in, and which office do I ask first?
Start from the ground. Ask who owns or controls the land, then ask that owner's office. The table maps common San Diego event locations to the office to call. It describes where to ask, not what the answer will be.
Where an event touches more than one jurisdiction, such as a parade that crosses from a city street into a county park, ask each office and keep their answers. A route that crosses a boundary can need two sets of approvals.
This guide did not find the other cities' toilet rules, so it states none. Ask the city clerk or the special events contact. A short phone call usually settles which department reviews the plan and whether a ratio applies.
County parks such as Sweetwater Summit Regional Park run their own restrooms and their own rules. If you want extra units there, ask the county whether they are allowed on the site before you order.
| Where the event is | Office to ask first | Why |
|---|---|---|
| City street, plaza or park in San Diego | City of San Diego Office of Special Events | It publishes the special event guidelines and restroom ratio |
| Mission Bay or Pacific Beach shoreline | City of San Diego Office of Special Events | City shoreline events follow the city guidelines |
| Food booths at any event | County Environmental Health and Quality | Its checklist covers handwashing and toilets near booths |
| Chula Vista, La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lemon Grove, Coronado, National City, Imperial Beach | That city's own hall | Each is a separate city with its own permits |
| County park or unincorporated area | San Diego County | The county controls its parks and unincorporated land |
| Port terminal, Navy base or secured yard | The operator of the site | Access is controlled by the operator |
How do storm drains and set-up details enter the review?
City guidance asks that standard units sit on a liner so spills cannot reach storm drains, and allows accessible units to use sandbags. Reviewers may look for those details on your map. Mark the drains near each bank, tell the provider the surface, and ask the office whether it wants the method named in the plan.
Storm drains in San Diego lead to the bay and the ocean, which is why spill protection appears in event guidance at all. A bank set beside a curb inlet on a closed street is a common problem, and the fix is usually to shift the bank a few yards or to add protection under the cabins.
The provider handles set-up, but it cannot see your drains from the yard. Walk the site, photograph every inlet near the proposed banks and send the photos with the first call. A thirty-second look at the map before delivery saves a move on the day.
What does a restroom plan usually contain?
The estimated peak attendance, the ratio and the count that results, the number of accessible units, the number of handwash stations, a site map showing where banks stand and a note on surface and spill protection. The provider's written quote can back the plan. Ask the office what it wants to see and in what format.
A reviewer is looking for evidence that the plan matches the crowd and the site. A short, clear plan with the arithmetic shown does that better than a long one. Keep a copy for the day of the event and give the provider the same map.
If the office changes its requirements after you have ordered, tell the provider as soon as you know. Adding units depends on what the provider has free, and no late addition is promised.
- Estimated peak attendance and how it was reached
- Ratio used and the resulting number of toilets
- Accessible units per bank and in total
- Handwash stations at toilets and food areas
- A map with bank positions, surfaces and the truck lane
What about private venues, weddings and backyard parties?
No city rule for private weddings was found for this guide, so none is stated. A private venue sets its own rules about what can be placed on its land, and a home party on private property may need nothing beyond the owner's consent. A park or street location changes that, so check with whoever controls the ground.
The question for a private event is rarely a permit. It is usually whether the venue allows rented units, where they may stand and whether trucks may cross a lawn. Some venues have exclusive vendors and others forbid anything that is not on their list.
If your gathering grows into something open to the public, the answer changes. A fundraiser that sells tickets on a closed street is a special event whatever its origins, and the restroom plan becomes a question for the permit office. When in doubt, ask the office early.
How do parades and routes that cross boundaries work?
A route can pass from one jurisdiction to another, and each part may need its own approval. San Diego Pride's parade runs about 1.5 miles through city streets in Hillcrest to Balboa Park, which is city land. Coronado's Fourth of July parade is a separate city's event. Ask each office whose land the route and staging areas touch.
Staging areas are easy to overlook. A band assembling in a lot beside the route is on someone's property, and the units that serve it need that owner's agreement. The finish area is often a park with its own booking rules.
Keep a single document that lists each segment, the controlling office and the units planned. It makes the application easier to complete and gives the provider a clear picture of where each bank stands. The parade toilets page goes through the zones in more detail.
What do the line and the provider do about permits, and when should an organizer start?
Neither the line nor the provider issues, reviews or guarantees a permit: the organizer applies and the office decides. Start as early as the date and site are known, ask each office for its schedule, and book the provider at the same time, because availability is not promised.
It helps to bring the provider into the conversation early. A provider that has served similar events can tell you how many banks a street fair usually needs and where a truck can reach. It cannot tell you what the city will accept.
If an office asks for a document from the provider, such as a quote or a unit description, ask the provider to supply it. Do not assume it has it ready.
Organizers who start late often find that the choice of providers has narrowed by the time the permit comes through. A provider can sometimes pencil in a plan while an approval is pending, but it will not hold units indefinitely.
If your event repeats each year, build a simple file with last year's plan, quote and approvals. The next committee will start with a head start.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit for portable toilets at my event?
The permit is for the event, not for the toilets, and the office that issues it decides what restrooms it expects. Ask the office for your site.
Does the City of San Diego office cover Chula Vista or La Mesa?
No. Those are separate cities. Ask their city halls.
Who checks the food booth handwashing?
County Environmental Health and Quality publishes the temporary food event checklist. Ask the county what it expects at your event.
Can the provider apply for the permit for me?
No. The organizer applies. The provider can supply information, such as a quote or unit description.
What if the office and the county give different numbers?
Ask both which one controls your site and get the answer in writing. Plan to the higher number if you cannot resolve it.
Sources
- City of San Diego – Office of Special Events permit information
- County of San Diego – Temporary Food Event organizer checklist
- County of San Diego – official website
This guide is general information for San Diego County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.