Appleton, WI Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Weeknight hours
- 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday
- Weekend hours
- 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday
- Age
- Applies to anyone under 18
- Exception
- Parent or guardian presence only
- Parental liability
- Parents can be cited for allowing violations
Summary
Appleton bars anyone under 18 from loitering in public streets, parks, playgrounds, school grounds and licensed alcohol premises between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, unless with a parent or guardian, under Municipal Code § 10-36.
Loitering of minors (curfew hours). It shall be unlawful for any minor to loiter in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, public buildings, premises licensed for sale of alcoholic beverages under §9-51 et seq., of this Code, vacant lots, vacant buildings, playgrounds or school grounds in the City, either on foot or in or upon any conveyance being driven or parked thereon, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following day, Sunday through Thursday, and between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday, unless accompanied by his or her parent, guardian or adult person having legal custody or control.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
m. on Friday and Saturday. The only exception is being accompanied by a parent, guardian or another adult with legal custody or control. Subsection (a) defines loitering broadly to include remaining idle in one location, spending time idly, lingering aimlessly, standing around or hanging around. Subsection (c) extends liability to adults: a parent, guardian or custodian who allows a minor to violate the curfew through inefficient control, or who otherwise suffers or permits it, is also in violation unless the minor was accompanied as the exception requires.
Adopted by Ord. 35-92 in 1992, the section sets its own penalty track for minors rather than relying on the Code's default forfeiture, directing that a minor who violates the curfew shall be penalized pursuant to section 1-18(b) of this Code, the schedule of deposits the City Clerk keeps on file, while the general penalty in § 1-16 covers a parent or guardian who is cited for allowing the violation.
Violations & Fines
A minor cited for violating curfew is penalized under the schedule set in § 1-18(b), the City's deposit schedule on file with the City Clerk, rather than the Code's default forfeiture range. A parent, guardian or custodian who allows the violation is cited under the general penalty in § 1-16, a $1 to $200 forfeiture for a first offense and $10 to $500 for a repeat offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is curfew for minors in Appleton?
Can Appleton police cite a parent for a teen's curfew violation?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Appleton
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Outagamie County handle juvenile curfew.