Curfew Laws in San Antonio, TX

If you live in San Antonio or are thinking about moving there, curfew laws are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. San Antonio has 2 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of curfew laws, and some of them might surprise you.

Park Curfew

Most San Antonio city parks close at 11:00 p.m. and reopen at 5:00 a.m., with Woodlawn Lake Park closing at midnight and natural-area creekway parks closing at sunset. Sec. 22-28 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to be in a park during closed hours without a special events permit or holiday declaration.

Key details: Standard park hours: 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.. Woodlawn Lake Park closes: Midnight. Natural/creekway parks close: Sunset to sunrise. After-hours use requires: Special events permit or holiday declaration. Offense class: Class C misdemeanor.

Being in a public park after its posted closing hour, or violating a condition of an issued events permit, is a Class C misdemeanor under Sec. 22-28(f), and any vehicle left in the park after curfew can be towed under Sec. 22-28(g) regardless of whether the driver is cited. Repeated after-hours violations can also affect a group's ability to get future special events permits under the department's guidelines.

Compared to other cities, San Antonio takes a harder line on park curfew. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Juvenile Curfew

San Antonio's youth curfew, City Code Secs. 21-121 through 21-125, still bars anyone under 17 from public places between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., and from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on school days, with parents fined $50 to $500 for letting a child violate it. Texas House Bill 1819, effective September 1, 2023, stripped every city's authority to enforce a curfew like this, so SAPD can no longer act on it.

Key details: Curfew hours (as written): 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. nightly. School-day hours (as written): 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.. Parent fine (as written): $50 to $500. Preempted by: Texas HB 1819, eff. Sept. 1, 2023. Last local readoption: June 4, 2015.

Under the still-printed ordinance, a peace officer could detain a curfew violator and cite the parent, prosecuted in municipal court with a $50 to $500 fine under Sec. 21-125(b), and a cited child could be referred to the Juvenile Case Management/Truancy Court. Since September 1, 2023, Texas HB 1819 bars the city from enforcing any of this against a minor under 18, so SAPD no longer issues curfew citations under this article.

If you are coming from a city with tighter rules, you will find San Antonio gives residents more flexibility on juvenile curfew.

The Bottom Line

San Antonio'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 San Antonio is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that San Antonio can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.