Operational Permits must be submitted within a reasonable time frame to allow proper attention for review, scheduling and availability of personnel.

Applications submitted 30 days to 14 days prior to the activity typically allow adequate time for processing by AFR Fire Inspectors. Operational Permits applications received by the Fire Inspection Division less than 3 workdays prior to the activity will be denied. Permit applications received more than 180 days before the activity will be returned to the applicant for resubmittal at a later date.

If circumstances prohibit the submittal of a permit application within the time frame noted above, the applicant must contact the Fire Inspection Division prior to submittal.

Operational Permits are typically processed as part of a City of Aurora Temporary Use Permit (TUP) process. TUP applications are reviewed by AFR to determine if an operational permit is required. AFR Fire Inspectors will contact the applicant via the TUP portal to initiate the Operational Permit application process when required in addition to a TUP.

Please contact the Fire Inspections Division for activities requiring an Operational Permit, and not processed under a TUP, or for questions. Please review Aurora’s Temporary Use Permit webpage for more information and to see if an activity/event should be processed through the TUP process. When both are required, issuance of either a TUP or Operational Permit does not guarantee the issuance of the other and both must be obtained prior to the activity/event.

Many Operational Permits require the successful completion of a pre-event fire and life safety inspection conducted by an AFR Fire Inspector. Required pre-event inspections will be coordinated by the assigned Fire Inspector and are included in the permit fees when conducted on workdays during the Inspector’s normal work hours.

Any inspections requested, rescheduled or extended outside of the Division’s normal work hours or on non-workdays will incur an after-hours inspection fee, billed to the applicant in addition to any other fees. Multiple, extensive or lengthy inspections and any necessary, related tasks conducted in conjunction with the inspection, causing more than two hours of after-hours work will incur additional fees for each hour, or any portion thereof.

Pre-event inspections must be conducted as close to the activity/event’s start time as to allow the Inspector to observe the operations and features of the activity but should be enough in advance to allow for correction/remedy of any fire code violations or life safety hazards identified during the inspection. For events starting in the morning, ideally, the inspection is conducted the afternoon before the event, and for those activities starting in the afternoon, the inspection is conducted the morning of the event.

Operational Permit Fees are available here and Operational Permit Applications are available upon request.