How much an elopement or wedding permit costs for the Oregon Coast, when you need a permit, and how to apply for a wedding permit
The Oregon Coast is an amazing place to get married. With mild weather year-round and 363 miles of public land to pick from, it’s a tough option to beat. As with all public lands, it’s important to make sure you don’t need a permit for your elopement, micro wedding, or wedding. Each park has slightly different rules and regulations. The entire Oregon Coast is state park land so regardless of where you’re getting married, you’ll be dealing with the state park.
Applying for proper permits for your wedding is key for public lands to continue to be an option for people’s wedding days for years to come. While you often think of picking up after yourself as Leave No Trace, applying for permits is also a very important piece of LNT while recreating.
Proper permits are not something you want to skip on a day as important as your elopement or wedding. You can be asked to cease activities without proper permits and derail your day. Thankfully, permits are not hard to obtain and the staff who works with Oregon Coast permits are very helpful.
While I’ve carefully researched this and will continue to update the information here, permit changes do occur and the state park gets a final say on what is approved and for what cost.
In this blog, we’ll cover:
Do I need a permit for my Oregon Coast elopement or wedding?
How much does a elopement or wedding permit for the Oregon Coast cost?
How to I get a permit for my elopement or wedding?
Do I need a permit for my Oregon Coast elopement or wedding?
When the Oregon Coast assesses whether you need a permit or not, it largely comes down to how you’re impacting the public land and how it affects the experience of other visitors. Some simple events are classified at the same level as any other tourist enjoying the beach. Others could prevent others from fully enjoying the space and that’s when permits come in.
The two main factors they assess:
- How many guests will be present?
- Will there be any structures set up as part of the event?
Guests: If you have less than 50 guests, you will not need a permit based on your guest count.
Structures: This is for anything getting set up that’s not in line with traditional use of the park. Are you renting chairs to setup for your guests? Are you setting up an altar or arbor? Will you be using a speaker or microphones? Will there be floral arrangements set up on the beach? These are the kind of structures to consider when assessing if you need a permit. Setting up anything on the beach prevents other visitors from using that section of beach.
Note: If you’ve hired a photographer, consider asking them about what they know about wedding permits for the Oregon Coast. This is a step I help my couples with and I make initial contact with the park to see if they’ll need a permit. While not all photographers offer this assistance, consider checking to see if your photographer does.
Some Examples:
I’ve had folks with around 15 guests set up a 2-5 chairs for elderly relatives to use during there ceremony. This is not generally classified as a “structure” that requires a permit. These chairs are just like what other visitors bring to the beach so they’re not impacting other visitors. In contrast, setting up 30 chairs on the beach would block a large portion of the beach.
In 2023, I reached out to the park regarding businesses that set up luxury picnics for couples. Since those are setting up a structure and also a business setting up on public land, this requires a permit. Setting up a simple DIY picnic for yourself on the beach does not require a permit.
Thinking of eating cake at a picnic table along the Oregon Coast with a few guests? This won’t require a permit. If you’re using a space that’s already there for tourist use, you’re not using it beyond what’s expected. Still be considerate of other visitors and make sure to pack out everything you bring in!
To read the official rules on state park land use, check out this resource from the Secretary of State.
How much is a permit for my Oregon Coast elopement or wedding?
A permit for an Oregon Coast wedding is $150, which includes the application fee, covering up to 50 guests. Each additional guest over 50 is $1/person. While this number will be largely accurate for what you’ll pay, different kinds of events and setups may require different permit fees.
If you have a photographer or videographer booked, they are not classified as commercial photo/video (this is a question on your permit application). This question applies for product photography or filming a commercial on the Oregon Coast.
In addition to the permit, you will need to secure liability insurance with Oregon State Parks additionally listed for your event. You can get this through whoever currently insures you. The cost of this will vary based on your insurer.
How do I get a permit for my Oregon Coast elopement or wedding?
As of March 2025, Allison is in charge of special event permits on the Oregon Coast. The entirety of the Oregon Coast is state park land so you’ll be working with the state park for your permit. I’ve been working with Allison for permits for a few years now and she’s a great help. She’ll answer your emails efficiently and is happy to answer questions.
You can find Allison’s current email and phone number on the beach permits webpage. If you’re unsure if you need a permit or have any questions, she’s the person to ask.
The process itself is very straightforward. Once Allison confirms you need a permit for your event, you’ll receive an application. She’ll be able to answer your questions on how to fill it out. The part of the application you fill out is only 2 pages. From there, you can mail or email your application (information on the application). You need to wait for approval before you receive your permit.
They do not accept applications more than 9 months before the event and will not accept an application with less than 30 days to the event. They issue one special event permit per location per day.
For folks who are having an elopement or micro wedding, I’m a photographer specializing in the Oregon Coast who helps you with this process! Since I have experience with these permits, I start the chats with the state park to assess if you need a permit. You’ll have to apply for it yourself but I can take care of the “do I need a permit” part of the process for you. Learn more about my services here or contact me here!
Save this on Pinterest for later!
Check out these other Oregon Coast elopement resources!
