The District public space permit for portable toilets on the curb, the sidewalk or a closed street, filed through TOPS at least 30 days before the event.
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A portable toilet on District public space is a temporary structure, and it needs the District Department of Transportation's public space permit, filed through its online permitting system, TOPS, at least 30 days before the event. The site plan that goes with the permit shows each toilet with its location and dimensions. A local provider prepares the unit's details for that site plan.
The District Department of Transportation, known as DDOT, issues the public space permits that cover the curb, the sidewalk, the street and the alley. A portable toilet that stands in any of those spaces is a temporary structure under the permit, and the permit file has to show where it stands. For a block party, a construction lot with a curb unit or a street event, the public space permit is the step that is most often left until too late.
DDOT permits are filed through its online system, TOPS, which is also where the event's street closures and other space uses are tracked. The 2026 special event planning guide, issued by the Mayor's Special Events Task Group, asks for the public space permit to be filed at least 30 days before the event, and the restroom location is one of the details the permit reviewer looks for on the site plan.
This page explains what the permit needs for the toilets. It does not describe every other permit a street event may need, such as a closure or a vending permit, and the applicant should confirm the current permit forms and fees with DDOT.
Keep the unit off the carriageway, clear of the hydrant and out of the path of pedestrians. The walkway beside the unit is kept open for wheelchairs, pushchairs and emergency access.
Show the curb, the sidewalk, the street, the hydrant, the tree box and the building entrances. Mark each toilet with its location and its dimensions.
Where the frontage is private or the building is occupied, get the owner's written consent for the part of the unit that touches their land.
File the public space permit through DDOT's online system at least 30 days before the event or the delivery. Attach the site plan and the restroom details.
DDOT reviews the application. Where the event is also under MSETG review, the public space permit follows the conditional approval.
The provider places the unit only at the spot shown on the approved plan. A change of spot needs the permit to be updated first.
A portable toilet needs the DDOT public space permit when it stands on the curb, the sidewalk, the street, the alley or any other public space in the District.
The test is where the unit stands, not who is using it. A unit on a private lot needs only the owner's consent, but a unit that reaches the public space needs the permit, even if it is a few feet over the property line. The line is checked on the site plan, and the provider asks for the property survey where the lot edge is close to the unit.
A unit at a construction site that touches the public curb is treated the same way as a unit at a street event. The permit shows the unit, the walkway and the hydrant, and the applicant keeps a copy on site.
The District's 2026 special event guide asks for the public space permit at least 30 days before the event. Filing earlier is safer, since review and changes take time.
Thirty days is the minimum in the guide. A plan filed late can be refused, or it can be approved with a delivery date that is later than the one the crew wanted. Filing early also gives time to correct the site plan if the reviewer asks for a change in the unit's position or its dimensions.
Confirm the current filing time with DDOT before submitting, because the guide and the permit rules are updated from time to time.
The site plan must show each toilet as a temporary structure, with its location and its dimensions, and the curb, sidewalk, hydrant and building lines around it.
A good site plan is drawn to scale. It shows the toilet's footprint, the door swing and the clear walkway beside it, so that a pedestrian can pass the unit without stepping into the street. Each toilet has its own label, and the accessible units are marked as well.
The site plan is the document the reviewer checks against the site. If the unit on the day does not match the plan, the permit is no longer valid for that spot, which is why the provider places the unit only where the plan shows.
A unit is kept clear of hydrants, tree boxes, meters and bus stops, and the plan shows those features so the reviewer can see the clear distance.
A hydrant must be kept accessible, and a unit placed in front of one is a problem for the fire service as well as the permit. A tree box is part of the public space, and a unit placed against a tree can damage the tree or the box. Parking meters and bus stops are shown on the plan so that the unit is not placed on a space that is needed for another use.
The provider checks these features on the day against the approved plan, and moves the unit only with the permit updated.
The DDOT permit covers the toilet's place on the public space, and it sits alongside the MSETG review for an event and any DC Parks permit where the event is on Parks land.
For a special event, MSETG conditional approval comes first, then the public space permit is filed, and a Parks permit is filed where the event is on DC Parks land. The restroom plan is the same in each file, and any change in the count or the placement is carried through all of them.
A construction unit at the curb needs the DDOT permit but not the MSETG review, unless the work is part of a larger event. The provider can confirm which permits apply to the spot before the booking.
A unit at the curb in front of a building, shown on the permit with its dimensions and the clear walkway beside it.
Placed on a closed sidewalk or the edge of a closed street, with the pedestrian route kept open and marked.
Set in a closed traffic lane for a parade or a street event, with the closure application listing the unit.
A curb unit in front of a Capitol Hill or Shaw rowhouse is a public space placement, so the DDOT permit applies.
Mall and waterfront events use the public space permit for the closed walkways and the street edges.
Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan street events often need the sidewalk and the curb planned together.
Most ddot public space restroom permit calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Restroom planning for a District special event, filed with the Mayor's Special Events Task Group before the public space and park permits.
Portable toilet placement for rowhouse frontage, rear alleys and narrow side gaps, planned on the lot before the truck is booked.
Restroom planning for events on DC Parks and Recreation land, where the event brings its own portable toilets under the Parks permit.
Restroom planning for events on the National Mall, along the waterfront and at the edge of Capitol Hill, placed on the approved walkways and crowd routes.
A portable toilet quote in Washington is set by the number of units, the number of days, how the unit reaches the spot, the accessible units, any handwash stations, the permit work and the hauling.
A District event that needs restrooms goes first to the Mayor's Special Events Task Group for conditional approval, run by the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency.
On a District rowhouse lot a construction toilet usually goes in a side gap, a rear yard or an alley space on the owner's consent, or at the curb under the DDOT public space permit for that frontage.
Yes. A unit on the public sidewalk or curb needs the DDOT public space permit.
Through DDOT's online permitting system, TOPS, at least 30 days before the event or the delivery.
Each toilet as a temporary structure with its location and dimensions, and the curb, sidewalk, hydrant and building lines around it.
Only after the permit is updated for the new spot. The provider places the unit where the approved plan shows.
No. Events on DC Parks land use the Parks permit route, and DC Parks and Recreation says it does not provide portable toilets.