For a public event, yes: the Philadelphia Department of Public Health issues permits for portable chemical toilets. The cost is $50 per location and a permit takes about 10 to 14 days to receive. The department does not supply the toilets; you rent them from a company. The organizer should confirm what applies with the city.
Key takeaways
- The Philadelphia Department of Public Health issues permits for portable chemical toilets at public events. It does not supply the toilets, so you still rent the units from a company.
- The permit costs $50 per location, and about 10 to 14 days should be allowed to receive it, so the application belongs early in your plan.
- Events in a city park or recreation area need a Large Event and Festival permit when 50 or more people gather in one location or when portable toilets are involved.
- The Office of Special Events is the one-stop shop for parades, festivals, runs and regattas, and its special event application asks for the total number of portable restrooms.
- A portable chemical toilet in a residential area must be serviced at least every 48 hours.
- Rules in Camden County, New Jersey and in suburban townships are set by each municipality, so the organizer or site manager should ask the local office.
Who issues the portable toilet permit in Philadelphia?
The Department of Public Health issues permits for portable chemical toilets at public events. It does not provide the toilets, which you rent from a company. The permit is $50 per location and takes about 10 to 14 days to receive. A rental provider can tell you how many units fit a spot, but the organizer applies.
It helps to separate two jobs that people often blur together. One is renting the units, which is a commercial arrangement with an independent local provider. The other is the city's permit, which is a government approval handled by the Department of Public Health. A rental does not come with a permit, and a permit does not come with units.
When you call Philadelphia Porta Potty Rental, the call connects you with a provider who delivers, services and removes the units. Neither the call line nor the provider can issue or promise a permit, and nobody can say in advance whether one will be approved. What a provider can do is tell you how many units fit at the spot you describe and which types suit your crowd, so your application is not a guess.
The fee is counted per location. An event with units at two separate sites counts as two locations, so plan the layout before you file.
Which Philadelphia events need a permit?
Public events that use portable chemical toilets fall under the Department of Public Health permit. Events in a city park or recreation area need a Large Event and Festival permit when 50 or more people gather in one location or when portable toilets are involved. Parades, festivals, runs and regattas go through the Office of Special Events.
The rules stack, and it is easy to find one office and miss the next. A neighborhood run might need a special event application, a Department of Public Health toilet permit and, depending on the route, a street closure. A picnic of 50 or more people in a park triggers the Large Event and Festival permit because of the headcount alone, and again if toilets are brought in.
The table below sorts the situations most readers ask about and points to the office that handles each. It records what city pages state and nothing more. Details such as how an application is scored, or whether your date is open, are the city's to answer.
If your event is big enough to have a name and a route, assume you will deal with more than one office, and start with the Office of Special Events, which describes itself as the one-stop shop for these.
| Your situation | Where to go | What city pages say |
|---|---|---|
| Public event using portable chemical toilets | Department of Public Health | Issues the permit; $50 per location; about 10 to 14 days to receive; it does not supply the toilets |
| Event in a city park or recreation area | Large Event and Festival permit | Needed if there are 50 or more people in one location or portable toilets are used |
| Parade, festival, run or regatta | Office of Special Events | One-stop shop; the special event application asks for the total number of portable restrooms |
| Street festival closing a street | Department of Streets | Business- or organization-sponsored festivals, or those on a major arterial or commercial corridor, apply for a festival street closure |
| Block party | Block party application (see the separate guide) | Applicant must live on the block; other conditions apply |
| Toilet left in a residential area | Servicing rule | A portable chemical toilet in a residential area must be serviced at least every 48 hours |
How early should you apply?
Allow at least the 10 to 14 days the Department of Public Health says a portable toilet permit takes, and treat that as a minimum. Block parties are asked to apply at least 21 days ahead, and large events involve several offices. Providers also need lead time, because short notice has caused rental shortages at big citywide events.
Work backward from your date. Put the event day at the end, subtract the 10 to 14 days for the toilet permit, then check whether any other application has a longer lead. A block party application is asked for at least 21 days ahead, and the fee is lower if you meet that. A larger event with a street closure will have its own timeline, which the Department of Streets or the Office of Special Events can describe.
Then add time to line up the units. Nothing guarantees a provider has units free for a given weekend, and the busiest dates, such as the Philadelphia Marathon in November, draw crowds in the tens of thousands. Short lead time has been blamed for limited rentals at a large citywide parade, even after the city had rented a far bigger number of portable toilets for an earlier papal visit.
The simple rule is to start the rental call and the permit paperwork in the same week. One can usually be adjusted if the other changes, but a missing permit with units already delivered is an uncomfortable place to be.
What should you have in hand before you call a provider?
Have the event date, the exact address or park location, the expected headcount, whether the public attends, and whether food is served. Add the number of locations, since the permit is counted by location. With those details a provider can say what units fit, and your permit application can state a real count.
The application for a special event asks for the total number of portable restrooms, so the count is not something you can leave for later. A provider works from the same details you do: how many people, for how long, and where. Without them, the first answer you get will be a guess.
Write the plan down in one short note. Include the spot where units would sit, whether it is grass, a plain paved lot or a street, and how a truck would reach it. Add a back-up location in case the first is closed or the ground is soft. Providers can tell quickly whether a spot works, and you save a round of calls.
Keep the permit paperwork with you on the day. If something changes, such as a new location or a larger crowd, tell the city and the provider together so the two stay in step. A change that reaches only one of them is how a delivery ends up at the wrong site.
What does the 48-hour rule mean for a residential site?
A portable chemical toilet in a residential area must be serviced at least every 48 hours, according to the Department of Public Health. That sets the rhythm of visits on a rowhouse block or in a neighborhood. It applies to how often a provider's truck must come, and the servicing itself is always done by the provider, not by you.
Residential here includes the blocks of rowhouses that make up most of the city, as well as suburban streets. A one-day party barely touches this rule. A renovation or a multi-day block event does, because each additional visit is work the provider has to schedule.
Never try to empty, move or tip a unit yourself. Servicing is a provider job, and a unit that is moved while in use can spill or tip. If a unit has been bumped, gets full, or sits on a surface that is sloping, call the provider and describe the problem.
If you manage a long job, long-term portable toilet rental explains how a provider usually sets a servicing schedule, and delivery, pickup and servicing describes what happens at each visit.
Do you need a permit to film or shoot photos?
A media permit is needed to shoot on Parks and Recreation property such as parks, rec centers and the Museum of Art, filed 10 business days ahead or with a surcharge. One third-party site says no permit is required to shoot on city streets when you are not affecting traffic. Confirm with the city.
Film and photo crews sometimes need toilets on location, and that raises the same question of who to call. The media permit covers filming on Parks and Recreation property. It is separate from the Department of Public Health permit for portable toilets at public events, and it is the film office's decision, not the rental provider's.
The quoted line about streets comes from a third-party page, not a city page, so treat it as a lead to check and not as a rule. Crews working in public space should ask the city whether anything applies before they place a unit.
If you are planning toilets for a shoot, the page on film and media shoot toilets covers where units tend to go and how a provider is briefed.
What about Camden, the suburbs and private property?
The permits above are Philadelphia city rules. Camden County, New Jersey, Delaware County and Montgomery County townships each set their own, and they have not been researched here, so ask the municipality. A private party on private land may raise a different question than a public event. Check first and rent second.
The area this call line covers reaches into New Jersey and the surrounding Pennsylvania counties. Camden, Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Haddonfield, Cheltenham and the other towns each have their own offices. There is no guarantee that a Philadelphia rule applies on the other side of the Delaware River, or in a township such as Lower Merion or Upper Darby.
The practical step is a short call to the municipality or to the event office at the venue. Ask what they require for portable toilets, who files it, and how long it takes. Write down the name of the person who answers.
Then call the line for a provider. The provider can tell you what units suit the setting, but cannot tell you what the municipality will require. For a first look at a rental by itself, the page on standard portable toilet rental is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Who applies for the permit, me or the rental provider?
The organizer or site manager applies. The Department of Public Health issues the permit but does not supply the toilets, so you rent units separately. A provider reached through the call line can say how many units suit your spot, and that number helps you fill in the application accurately.
How much is the Philadelphia portable toilet permit?
The Department of Public Health lists $50 per location. It is a city fee, separate from the rental price a provider quotes you. Plan about 10 to 14 days to receive the permit, and confirm the current fee and form with the city before you submit.
Does a 50-person picnic in a park need a permit?
City pages say events in a city park or recreation area need a Large Event and Festival permit if there are 50 or more people in one location or if portable toilets are used. A picnic of that size is therefore covered by headcount alone. Ask the city before you book units.
Can I leave a portable toilet at my house during a renovation?
The city's servicing rule for residential areas says a portable chemical toilet must be serviced at least every 48 hours. Whether a given job needs a permit is a question for the city. A provider can tell you how placement and access work on your block.
Will having a permit guarantee that the rental goes ahead?
No. A permit and a rental are separate. Nothing guarantees a provider has units free for your date, and big weekends fill up. Start both the permit and the rental call early, and get the delivery date and the unit count confirmed in writing before the event.
Sources
- City of Philadelphia - Department of Public Health
- City of Philadelphia - Office of Special Events
- City of Philadelphia - Department of Streets
This guide is general information for Philadelphia County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.