How Yonkers Handles Curfew Laws: A Practical Guide
Yonkers maintains 128 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 Yonkers falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Juvenile Curfew
Yonkers runs one curfew on the books, and it only applies on Halloween night. City Code Chapter 70 bars unescorted children, juveniles and minors from public places between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on October 31 through 6 a.m. November 1, with age-tiered start times and a $25 fine for violators.
Key details: Applies: Oct 31, 10 p.m. to Nov 1, 6 a.m.. Age tiers: Under 12, 12-13, 14-16. Fine: $25 per violation. Enforcement: Yonkers Police Department. Scope: Halloween night only, not year-round.
A Halloween curfew violation carries a $25 fine under § 70-5(B). The process itself functions as the primary consequence: officers detain the young person at the station until a parent or guardian is contacted, and if no parent or guardian arrives within two hours, custody passes to juvenile authorities rather than the fine alone resolving the stop.
Park Curfew
City parks in Yonkers carry a nighttime loitering ban. Unlighted parks and playgrounds are off-limits from sunset to 8 a.m., and lighted ones close to loitering between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless the Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Conservation grants permission. The same hours reach City schools and other City-run facilities.
Key details: Unlit parks curfew: Sunset to 8:00 a.m.. Lit parks curfew: 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.. Permission granted by: Commissioner of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. Also covers: City schools, play areas, City-leased facilities. Bench rule: No blocking or sleeping on benches, § 100-18.
Article IV carries no penalty section of its own, so a violation of the sunset-to-8-a.m. or 10-p.m.-to-8-a.m. curfew defaults to § 1-21's citywide schedule: a Class II offense, meaning a criminal fine of $100 to $5,000, up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000, enforced by the Yonkers Police Department.
The Bottom Line
Yonkers'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 Yonkers is broadly strict or permissive.
All of the above reflects Yonkers's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.