Form SPD 325, the Sound Permit Application (printed on the form as Sound Permit/Registration Statement), is a City of Sacramento form that describes a planned sound broadcast: the equipment, any vehicle, the operator, the street boundaries and the reason. It ends with an approval block for the Chief of Police or a designee. If you are looking for a Sacramento business license, the city's permits page describes a separate document, the Business Operations Tax (BOT) Certificate; this form is not that certificate. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original is published by the City of Sacramento Finance Department.
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What is SPD 325?
The Sound Permit Application, printed on the form as Sound Permit/Registration Statement (SPD 325), is a City of Sacramento form that records the details of a sound broadcast and carries an approval block for the Chief of Police or designee.
The form asks for:
- the applicant's name, residence address and residence telephone, and the firm name, address and telephone;
- the day or days the broadcast will be made;
- the type of device used, and the brand and model number of the equipment and of each speaker;
- the type of vehicle, its model and license number;
- the power output and watts per channel, the volume of sound produced in decibels and the maximum distance the sound may be heard;
- the name and address of the equipment operator;
- the proposed street boundaries to the north, east, south and west;
- the name and address of the person making the broadcast, the specific location and the reason or purpose.
At the top, the form has lines for the Fee, the Issuance Date and the Expiration Date, and cites Sacramento City Code Sec. 10.60.010 – 10.60.090, and 10.08.130. At the bottom are APPROVED and NOT APPROVED boxes with the signature line of the Chief of Police or designee, and the telephone number (916) 808-0700. The revision printed on the form is SPD 325 (REV 03/16).
The city's business permits page treats the Business Operations Tax (BOT) Certificate as a separate requirement for anyone engaged in business in the city. This form is a sound permit statement, not that certificate.
Who needs to file SPD 325?
The form is written for a person or firm that plans a sound broadcast in the City of Sacramento and has to describe it for approval by the Chief of Police or a designee. The form cites Sacramento City Code Sec. 10.60.010 – 10.60.090, and 10.08.130; read those sections or ask the city whether your planned broadcast falls under them.
Several roles appear on the form, and they can be different people:
- The applicant, with a residence address and telephone.
- The firm, with its own name, address and telephone, when a business is involved.
- The equipment operator, who has a separate name and address line.
- The person making the broadcast, who also has a separate name and address line.
The form also asks for vehicle details (type, model, license #), so people planning a broadcast from a vehicle will have to supply them. The form states no exclusions and no rules about who may sign for the applicant. The business permits page of the City of Sacramento Finance Department says that anyone engaged in business in the city needs a BOT Certificate, which this form does not replace.
When to file SPD 325
Complete the form when you plan a sound broadcast, because it asks for the day or days the broadcast will be made and the specific location. No filing deadline or advance-notice period is printed on it, so confirm timing with the city before the broadcast date. The Issuance Date and Expiration Date lines at the top show that the permit is issued for a period; the form does not state its length. A Fee line is also printed at the top. For questions on timing, the form prints the telephone number (916) 808-0700, and the City of Sacramento Revenue Division can be reached at (916) 808-8500.
How to fill out SPD 325
Enter the applicant's details
Write the APPLICANT'S NAME, RESIDENCE ADDRESS and RESIDENCE TELEPHONE in the first block.
Enter the firm's details
Fill in FIRM NAME, FIRM ADDRESS and FIRM TELEPHONE when a business is involved in the broadcast.
Give the broadcast days and device
Enter the DAY OR DAYS BROADCAST WILL BE MADE, the TYPE OF DEVICE USED TO BROADCAST and the BRAND & MODEL # OF EQUIPMENT.
List each speaker
Under BRAND & MODEL # OF EACH SPEAKER, enter the brand and model number next to the numbers 1, 2 and 3.
Describe the vehicle
Enter the TYPE OF VEHICLE, its MODEL and its LICENSE # where the form asks for them.
State the sound specifications
Enter the POWER OUTPUT & WATTS PER CHANNEL, the VOLUME OF SOUND PRODUCED (IN DECIBELS) and the MAX DISTANCE SOUND MAY BE HEARD.
Identify the equipment operator
Write the NAME OF EQUIPMENT OPERATOR and the ADDRESS OF EQUIPMENT OPERATOR.
Define the street boundaries
Under PROPOSED STREET BOUNDARIES, enter a street for each of NORTH, EAST, SOUTH and WEST.
Describe the person, place and purpose
Enter the NAME OF PERSON MAKING BROADCAST and ADDRESS OF PERSON MAKING BROADCAST, the SPECIFIC LOCATION WHERE BROADCAST WILL BE MADE and the REASON (OR PURPOSE) FOR BROADCAST.
Leave the city's lines for the city
The Fee, Issuance Date and Expiration Date lines at the top and the APPROVED/NOT APPROVED block with the Chief of Police or designee signature are not applicant details; ask the city before completing them.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check that every applicant line is filled and the four street boundaries are complete. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and deliver it as described under How to submit.
How to submit SPD 325
The form names no submission channel or address of its own. It ends with an approval block (APPROVED or NOT APPROVED) for the signature of the Chief of Police or designee and prints the telephone number (916) 808-0700, which is the number the city's permits page gives for Police Department permit questions. Call it to confirm where and how to turn in the completed form.
The City of Sacramento's Business Permits and Taxes page, which covers permits issued through the Finance Department, Revenue Division, gives these contacts (the page does not list this form by name):
- Phone: (916) 808-8500. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
- Email: [email protected]
- Mail: City of Sacramento, Revenue Division, 915 I Street, Room 1201, Sacramento, CA 95814.
- Public counter: Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The form has a Fee line. The amount is not printed on it, so ask the city for the current amount and the accepted payment methods. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the city's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving one of the four proposed street boundaries (North, East, South, West) blank or incomplete.
- Omitting the day or days the broadcast will be made, or giving a location that is not specific.
- Listing the equipment's brand and model but not the brand and model number of each speaker (lines 1, 2 and 3).
- Skipping the power output and watts per channel, the volume in decibels or the maximum distance the sound may be heard.
- Entering the applicant's details on the lines for the equipment operator or the person making the broadcast, which are separate lines.
- Filling in the APPROVED or NOT APPROVED block; it is for the signature of the Chief of Police or designee.
- Treating the form as the city's Business Operations Tax (BOT) Certificate or general business license; it is a separate sound permit statement.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Sound Permit Application (SPD 325)?
It is a City of Sacramento form, printed as Sound Permit/Registration Statement, that describes a planned sound broadcast: the equipment, vehicle, operator, street boundaries and reason. It ends with an approval block for the Chief of Police or designee.
Is a sound permit the same as a business license in Sacramento?
No. The city's permits page says anyone engaged in business in the city needs a Business Operations Tax (BOT) Certificate, and some businesses also need a special permit. This form is a sound permit statement, a different document.
What information does the sound permit form ask for?
Applicant and firm details, the broadcast day or days, equipment and speaker brands and models, vehicle type, model and license #, power, decibel volume, maximum distance, operator, street boundaries, broadcaster, location and purpose.
Who approves the Sacramento sound permit?
The form's last block has APPROVED and NOT APPROVED boxes with a signature line for the Chief of Police or designee. The applicant does not complete that block; the form prints (916) 808-0700 for questions.
Is there a fee for the sound permit?
The form has a Fee line at the top, so a fee applies, but it does not print an amount. Ask the City of Sacramento Revenue Division at (916) 808-8500 for the current amount and how to pay.
Where do I submit the Sound Permit Application?
The form names no address or channel. Call (916) 808-0700, the number printed on it, or the Revenue Division at (916) 808-8500, to confirm where to turn it in. The Revenue Division's mailing address is 915 I Street, Room 1201, Sacramento, CA 95814.
Which city code sections does the form cite?
The form cites Sacramento City Code Sec. 10.60.010 – 10.60.090, AND 10.08.130. Read those sections, or ask the city, to find out whether your planned broadcast falls under them.
Can I fill out the Sacramento sound permit form online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of the City of Sacramento and does not submit the form or issue the permit; you deliver it through the city's channels.
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