Event Planning Permit Requirements in Shreveport, LA

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if operating as a business entity (LLC or corporation) or if you have employees. Free from the IRS. You will need an EIN to open a business bank account and sign vendor contracts professionally.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Louisiana Secretary of State Business Registration

   An event planning business organized as an LLC, corporation or partnership files its formation documents with the Louisiana Secretary of State's Commercial Division through the geauxBIZ portal. A sole proprietor operating under any name other than the owner's own legal name registers a trade name with the Secretary of State — Louisiana has no parish-clerk DBA filing. geauxBIZ also routes registration to the Department of Revenue and Louisiana Workforce Commission in the same session.

   Official government source

   $100 for LLC Articles of Organization, $75 for corporation Articles of Incorporation, $100 for a partnership registration, and $75 for a Trade Name/Trademark/Service Mark registration (rising to $95 on October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of 2026). A name reservation is $25. Credit card filings add a $5 statutory convenience fee; optional expedite is $30, or $50 for priority while-you-wait service.·The Secretary of State publishes no processing time for standard filings. Expedited processing (documents handled within 24 hours) is $30, or $50 for priority service. Check name availability before filing (225-925-4704).

   $100 for LLC Articles of Organization, $75 for corporation Articles of Incorporation, $100 for a partnership registration, and $75 for a Trade Name/Trademark/Service Mark registration (rising to $95 on October 1, 2026 under Act 921 of 2026). A name reservation is $25. Credit card filings add a $5 statutory convenience fee; optional expedite is $30, or $50 for priority while-you-wait service.

   The Secretary of State publishes no processing time for standard filings. Expedited processing (documents handled within 24 hours) is $30, or $50 for priority service. Check name availability before filing (225-925-4704).

2. Louisiana Sales Tax Permit (if applicable)

   Event planning coordination is not among Louisiana's enumerated taxable services, so the service itself is generally not taxed. You must register as a dealer with the Louisiana Department of Revenue and collect state sales tax if you sell, lease or rent tangible personal property or digital products — event supplies, decorations, floral arrangements or similar goods (R.S. 47:301(4)).

   Official government source

   The Louisiana Department of Revenue publishes no fee for opening a sales tax account; register through LaTAP or geauxBIZ and confirm at registration.·Not published by LDR; register before your first taxable sale and confirm account activation through LaTAP.

   The Louisiana Department of Revenue publishes no fee for opening a sales tax account; register through LaTAP or geauxBIZ and confirm at registration.

   Not published by LDR; register before your first taxable sale and confirm account activation through LaTAP.

1. City of Shreveport Occupational License Tax (business license)

   An event planning business operating in Shreveport must hold a city occupational license from the Finance Department's Revenue Division (318-673-5500). Shreveport does not issue a separate 'home occupation permit': a home-based business instead obtains a home-based Certificate of Occupancy from the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission, and that certificate must be in hand before you apply for the occupational license. The city issues a temporary license for the first 30 days of operation, then a permanent license once you report actual figures. Renewed annually.

   Official government source

   Initial fee of $50 if the business opens in the first six months of the year, or $25 starting July 1 — except professional classifications. The annual tax is then computed on gross receipts by classification: retailers on a $50-$6,200 scale, wholesalers on a $50-$7,500 scale, professionals at one-tenth of one percent of gross. Add the Certificate of Occupancy: $75 home-based, $125 for a commercial location, no fee outside city limits.·No processing time is published. A temporary license covers the first 30 days of operation and is then converted to a permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January, due before March 1.

   Initial fee of $50 if the business opens in the first six months of the year, or $25 starting July 1 — except professional classifications. The annual tax is then computed on gross receipts by classification: retailers on a $50-$6,200 scale, wholesalers on a $50-$7,500 scale, professionals at one-tenth of one percent of gross. Add the Certificate of Occupancy: $75 home-based, $125 for a commercial location, no fee outside city limits.

   No processing time is published. A temporary license covers the first 30 days of operation and is then converted to a permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January, due before March 1.

2. City of Shreveport Special Permit — Events in Public Parks and Streets

   Events using Shreveport public parks, streets, plazas or other public venues require a Special Permit issued through SPAR Event Services (101 Crockett St., Suite A — The Depot; 318-673-5100). Separate application forms exist for Simple Parks, Simple Street Closure, Mini Festival, Parade, Red River District, Festival Plaza/RiverView Park, RiverView Hall and Independence Stadium. Submitting the application does not confirm the event: a multi-agency Event Task Force — Traffic Engineering, SporTran, Police, Fire Prevention, Fire/EMS, Risk Management, SPAR Maintenance, the SPAR Event Coordinator and the Division Manager — must review and approve it, and once approved no changes to the plan and no advertising or invitations may go out without Task Force approval. A set-up diagram, trash plan and parking plan are required with every application. Admission fees are not allowed in city parks and alcohol requires separate permission. Police and EMS staffing is arranged and paid by the applicant; carnival rides and inflatables need a State Fire Marshal inspection requested at least 14 days out, and fireworks require Shreveport Fire Prevention at least 30 days out.

   Official government source

   No published permit fee schedule. All costs associated with the event — electrician, trash removal, and event clean-up including bathrooms by SPAR employees — are billed to the applicant or producing organization, and an estimate is provided before the contract is signed; damage to city property is assessed and billed separately. Police security labor is billed by the Shreveport Police Department. Call Event Services at 318-673-5100 for an estimate. Insurance is the other real cost: a City-approved certificate naming the City of Shreveport as additional insured, with Commercial General Liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, workers' compensation with employer's liability of at least $1,000,000, and business auto liability of at least $100,000 per person and $500,000 per accident, each with waiver of subrogation and 30-day cancellation endorsements.·The completed application must reach the SPAR office 45 calendar days before the first day of the event — not the '30 days / 60+ days for large events' stated. Approval follows Event Task Force review, so allow the full period. Contact the Police and Fire Departments at least two weeks before the event, request a State Fire Marshal inspection for rides or inflatables at least 14 days out, and notify Fire Prevention at least 30 days out for fireworks. Any change to the information given must be reported in writing 10 days before the event.

   No published permit fee schedule. All costs associated with the event — electrician, trash removal, and event clean-up including bathrooms by SPAR employees — are billed to the applicant or producing organization, and an estimate is provided before the contract is signed; damage to city property is assessed and billed separately. Police security labor is billed by the Shreveport Police Department. Call Event Services at 318-673-5100 for an estimate. Insurance is the other real cost: a City-approved certificate naming the City of Shreveport as additional insured, with Commercial General Liability of at least $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate, workers' compensation with employer's liability of at least $1,000,000, and business auto liability of at least $100,000 per person and $500,000 per accident, each with waiver of subrogation and 30-day cancellation endorsements.

   The completed application must reach the SPAR office 45 calendar days before the first day of the event — not the '30 days / 60+ days for large events' stated. Approval follows Event Task Force review, so allow the full period. Contact the Police and Fire Departments at least two weeks before the event, request a State Fire Marshal inspection for rides or inflatables at least 14 days out, and notify Fire Prevention at least 30 days out for fireworks. Any change to the information given must be reported in writing 10 days before the event.

3. Caddo Parish Temporary Use / Special Event Permit (if applicable)

   Events on unincorporated Caddo Parish land, or large outdoor events on private property in the parish, may require a temporary use permit. Zoning outside city limits in Caddo Parish is administered by the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission under the Shreveport-Caddo Unified Development Code (318-673-6480); no dedicated public page for this permit could be located, so confirm the applicable process, fee and requirements with the MPC before planning the event.

   Official government source

   Not published; the '$75-$350' figure has no official source. Confirm the current fee with the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission.·Not published; the '2-4 weeks' figure has no official source.

   Not published; the '$75-$350' figure has no official source. Confirm the current fee with the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission.

   Not published; the '2-4 weeks' figure has no official source.

Official Sources

• Shreveport Business Licensing
• Louisiana Secretary of State — Business Registration
• IRS EIN Application

Related Guides