Columbia License required ordinance (§ 13-411)
Chapter 13: Licenses, Permits and Miscellaneous Business Regulations · Article XII. Temporary Business Licenses
In short: Anyone who promotes a temporary special event, such as a trade show, festival or craft show with multiple booths, must first get a temporary business license. Events closed to the public are exempt, as are volunteer-run nonprofit events (limited to three consecutive days) whose receipts all go to the organization.
Our plain-English summary, not the official text or legal advice. The ordinance below is what counts.
(a) No promoter shall organize or promote a temporary special event without first obtaining a temporary business license.
(b) A "promoter" is any person who provides to any other person a sales or exhibit area at a temporary special event.
(c) A "temporary special event" is any exhibition, display or show, involving multiple individual exhibits or booths, for the purpose of selling, trading, bartering or displaying goods or services to the public which is professionally promoted and which lasts for fourteen (14) consecutive days or less within any threemonth period. Temporary special events include, but are not limited to, trade shows, festivals and arts and crafts shows. "Temporary special event" includes any festival held not more than once per week during not more than two (2) calendar months per calendar year in the "central business district" as defined in section 14-1 of this Code.
(d) Promoters of events which are not open to the public are exempt from the provisions of this division.
(e) The following are exempt from the requirements of this division: garage sales, bake sales, swap meets, hobby shows, arts and crafts shows, fund raising events, and other similar temporary events provided that (1) the event is sponsored and organized or promoted by a nonprofit service club, hobby club, sports club, charitable, religious, fraternal, civic, eleemosynary or educational institution, (2) the event is entirely organized, promoted and staffed by unpaid volunteer members of such organization, (3) the expenses of the temporary event are paid by the organization and (4) all receipts go to the organization and not to a paid or professional promoter or organizer.
(f) An exempt temporary special event shall not continue for more than three (3) consecutive days.
(g) Organizations otherwise exempt under this section shall not lose such exemption solely because they are sponsored, co-sponsored, programmed or assisted in any manner by the parks and recreation department or conduct a special temporary event on city property.
Official source: City of Columbia official Code of Ordinances (online): look up Sec. 13-411
Text from Supplement 139 (September 3, 2026).
Last checked November 1, 2026. The city's official copy controls; this page is a reading copy, not legal advice.