Berkeley does not maintain an active general juvenile curfew ordinance. California state truancy and loitering laws apply, and parents remain responsible for supervising minors.
Unlike some California cities, Berkeley has historically resisted blanket juvenile curfew ordinances and does not currently enforce a general nighttime curfew on minors. Parents and guardians are expected to supervise children under state parental-responsibility laws, and California Penal Code 653b (loitering near schools) and Education Code truancy provisions still apply during daytime school hours. Berkeley Unified School District enforces daytime truancy rules jointly with Berkeley Police. For specific locations like parks, closing-hour rules function as a de facto overnight restriction (see park curfew). Juveniles may be questioned and returned home if found out late under welfare-check authority, but absent a specific criminal violation, there is no standalone curfew citation in Berkeley.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Alameda County.
See how other cities in Alameda County handle juvenile curfew.
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