How Green Bay Handles Curfew Laws: A Practical Guide
Green Bay maintains 101 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with curfew laws. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Green Bay falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Juvenile Curfew
Green Bay bars anyone under 17 from loitering, idling or remaining on public streets, parks or lands between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. without a parent, guardian or other adult with custody present. Municipal Code § 26-41 exempts errands, school activities, jobs, First Amendment activity, through-travel and staying near home, and it also penalizes adults who knowingly let a violation happen.
Key details: Covered ages: Under 17 years old. Curfew hours: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.. Adult liability: Parents and property/vehicle owners. Exemptions: 7 listed, incl. work, school, First Amendment. General penalty: $1.00 to $500.00 forfeiture.
Section 26-41 carries no dedicated fine of its own in the text, so enforcement runs through the chapter's general penalty structure: a forfeiture of $1.00 to $500.00 per offense under § 26-18, with a Municipal Court Judge able to substitute or add community service under § 26-2. Both the minor and any adult who knowingly permitted the violation under subsection (b) can be cited separately by officers authorized under § 26-1.
Compared to other cities, Green Bay takes a harder line on juvenile curfew. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.
Park Curfew
City parks close nightly from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. under Green Bay's park-conduct ordinance, with longer closures at Ken Euers Natural Area, unless attending an approved Parks Department activity.
Key details: Park hours: closed 10 p.m.-6 a.m.. Ken Euers, summer: closed 8 p.m.-6 a.m.. Ken Euers, winter: closed 5 p.m.-6 a.m.. Enforcement: ejection under § 28-4(j).
Anyone in a park after closing can be ejected from all City parks for a set period under Section 28-4(j); re-entering during that ejection is a separate offense, and general code violations otherwise carry the Section 1-6 forfeiture.
The Bottom Line
Green Bay's curfew laws rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Green Bay is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Green Bay's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.