Application for a Special Assembly Occupancy License – Philadelphia, PA

The Application for a Special Assembly Occupancy License is the one-page City of Philadelphia form, issued by the Department of Licenses and Inspections (L&I), that an owner or operator completes to request a NEW Special Assembly Occupancy License for a location.

The form has three parts and a declaration:

• Part A records the address of the licensed activity, the owner/operator's contact information, any Pennsylvania corporations in which the applicant holds equity, and the tax account and license numbers tied to the property.
• Part B is a checklist in which the applicant verifies that City taxes, charges and fees are current, that a Zoning Permit for the use and a Certificate of Occupancy are valid, and that a criminal history record search and photos of the posted license notice are included.
• Part C lists the limits and conditions that apply to a license holder, including the ban on operating between 2:00 am and 7:00 am.
• The Declaration and Signature block certifies that the statements are true and correct.

L&I lists the Special Assembly Occupancy License with two other entertainment business licenses, the Event Promotor Registration and the Carnival License. This form applies only to the first of them, and it is for a new license, as the form's own heading says. Anyone who knowingly makes a false statement on it is subject to possible revocation of any licenses and other penalties prescribed by law or ordinance.

The main group is owners or operators who want a NEW Special Assembly Occupancy License for a location in Philadelphia. The owner/operator signs the declaration at the end of the form.

Conditions the form attaches:

• If the legal entity is a "company", up to two corporate owners must be named in Part A, each with title, home address and city/state/zip.
• The applicant must name all Pennsylvania corporations, including limited liability corporations, in which they hold any equity interest, whether directly or through tiers of a corporate structure such as a parent-subsidiary structure.
• The applicant must be able to confirm in Part B that City taxes, charges and fees are current and that a Zoning Permit for the use and a Certificate of Occupancy are valid.

Exclusions: the form is for a new license only. L&I treats the Event Promotor Registration and the Carnival License as separate licenses, so this application does not cover them. The form does not describe any other person who may sign for the owner or operator.

Use this form when you are applying for a NEW Special Assembly Occupancy License. The form prints no filing deadline and no renewal cycle.

Before you apply, the Part B items must already be in place: a valid Zoning Permit for the use, a valid Certificate of Occupancy, current City taxes, charges and fees, a criminal history record search, and photos proving that the Special Assembly Occupancy License Notice has been posted. The form notes that the posting must remain on site for at least 30 days. Part A also asks for the date the activity started at the property.

The form says it must be submitted in person and carries the warning "DO NOT MAIL THIS APPLICATION". L&I's entertainment business licenses page repeats "Do not mail applications" and names two ways to apply:

• In person: take the application to the Permit and License Center in the MSB Concourse.
• Online: L&I's page says you can apply for these licenses online, and it gives the page at https://www.phila.gov/documents/entertainment-business-license-materials/. The form itself names only in-person submission, so confirm with L&I which route applies to you.

Bring the completed, signed application together with the Part B items: the criminal history record search and the photos showing the posted license notice. The form prints no fee, mailing address or phone number. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.