Butte County, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

m. m. the following day, applying to anyone under eighteen. Three offenses are created: the minor who remains in a public place or on an establishment's premises during curfew hours; a parent or guardian who knowingly permits or, through insufficient control, allows the minor to remain out; and the establishment's owner, operator or employee who knowingly allows a minor to stay on the premises during those hours. The section lists specific defenses: the minor was accompanied by a parent or guardian, was on a direct errand for a parent, was in a vehicle on interstate travel, was going to or from work without a detour, was involved in an emergency, was on the sidewalk in front of home or a cooperative next-door neighbor's home, was at a supervised school, religious or county-sponsored recreational activity, was exercising First Amendment rights, or was married or otherwise had disabilities of minority removed under the Family Code.

An establishment operator also has a defense if staff promptly told the sheriff's department a minor was present and refusing to leave. Before enforcing, a deputy must first ask the apparent offender's age and reason for being in the public place, and may not cite or arrest unless the officer reasonably believes an offense occurred and no listed defense applies. The ordinance traces to Ord. No. 3146 (July 6, 1994) and was amended by Ord. No. 3240 (January 23, 1996), replacing an earlier loitering-by-minors scheme dating to Ord. No. 781.