Bessemer, AL Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- Minors in public places
- Parent liability
- Separate offense, Sec. 78-96
- General penalty
- Up to $500.00, 6 months, Sec. 1-8
- Key exemption
- Direct trip home from work/school
Summary
Bessemer bars minors from loitering or wandering in public between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under Code of Ordinances § 78-95. Exceptions cover minors with a parent, on an errand, coming home from work or school activities, or exercising First Amendment rights, and parents who knowingly allow a violation face their own charge.
(a)No minor shall loiter, wander about or play in or on any public street, alley, park or other public place or any place of amusement or vacant lot between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following day.(b)This section shall not apply to any minor:(1)Accompanied by his parent or guardian or any other adult person having the care and custody of such minor;(2)Where such minor is on an emergency errand or legitimate business directed by his parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of the minor;(3)When the minor is returning directly home from a school activity, entertainment, recreational activity, or dance;(4)When the minor is returning directly home from lawful employment that makes it necessary to be in the above-referenced places during the prescribed period of time;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Republication).
Full Breakdown
m. Subsection (b) lists specific exemptions: a minor accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult with custody; a minor running an emergency errand or legitimate business directed by that adult; a minor returning directly home from a school activity, entertainment, recreational event, or dance; and a minor returning directly home from lawful employment that requires being out during curfew hours. The ordinance also exempts minors traveling to or from an activity involving First Amendment speech, assembly, or religious exercise, minors riding in a vehicle with parental consent for normal travel, and minors who are legally emancipated under Code of Ala.
1975, §§ 26-21-2 and 26-23A-3. Section 78-96 puts a mirror-image duty on adults: any adult with care and custody of a minor who knowingly permits that minor to wander, loiter, or play in a public place, park, or vacant lot in violation of section 78-95 is separately liable. Both sections trace back to Code 1973, § 15-142 and § 15-143, carried forward through later recodifications without substantive change to the curfew hours.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 78 has no standalone curfew penalty, so a violation falls under Code of Ordinances § 1-8's general penalty: a fine not exceeding $500.00, imprisonment or hard labor not exceeding six months, or both, with each continuing day a separate offense. A parent who knowingly lets a minor violate curfew is separately liable under section 78-96.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Bessemer's youth curfew start?
Can a teenager be out past curfew coming home from work?
Is a parent liable if their child breaks curfew?
What's the penalty for violating Bessemer's curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bessemer
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle juvenile curfew.