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Bossier City, LA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Citation
Bossier City Code §§ 38-236, 38-237
Curfew hours (Sun-Thu)
10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
Curfew hours (Fri-Sat)
Midnight to 5:00 a.m.
Covered age
Under 17 years old
Third-offense parent fine
Up to $500.00 or 60 days jail
Enforcing agency
Bossier City Police Department youth services bureau

Summary

Bossier City restricts juveniles under 17 from being in any public place between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight to 5:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Code §§ 38-236 and 38-237 make it unlawful for a juvenile to remain out during curfew hours and for a parent to knowingly permit it, with exceptions for supervised or registered activities.

Curfew means a regulation to restrict outdoor activities of juveniles in the city between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. each day, except on Friday and Saturday, on which days the curfew shall be in force from midnight. ... ... Sec. 38-237. - Same—Prohibitions. (a)It shall be unlawful for a parent knowingly to permit, or by neglect, fail to exercise reasonable control, allow his juvenile child to be on the street, sidewalks, park or any other public property or public place within the city during the curfew hours.(b)It shall be unlawful for any juvenile to remain in or upon any public place, including any street, sidewalk or park in the city during the curfew hours.

Full Breakdown

The curfew sits in Chapter 38, Article IV, Division 2, Subdivision III, alongside the city's compulsory-school-attendance and suspended-student rules. Section 38-236 defines curfew hours as 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. every day except Friday and Saturday, when the restricted period begins at midnight, and defines a juvenile as anyone who has not attained 17 years of age. Section 38-237 creates two separate offenses: a parent who knowingly permits, or through neglect fails to exercise reasonable control to prevent, a juvenile from being on the street, sidewalk, park or other public place during curfew hours is guilty, and a juvenile who himself remains in a public place during those hours is guilty.

Section 38-238 carves out exceptions for a juvenile accompanied by a parent or other adult with custody, for a juvenile attending a registered educational, religious or nonprofit function whose sponsor has filed the event's end time with the police chief, and for a juvenile on a documented emergency errand or specific parent-directed business. Under § 38-239, an officer who finds a violation may direct or escort the juvenile home or take the juvenile into custody for delivery to the police department's juvenile receiving center, notifying the parent or guardian to retrieve the child.

A third or subsequent violation exposes the parent, not the juvenile, to a fine of up to $500.00 or up to 60 days in jail under § 38-239(d).

Violations & Fines

A first or second curfew violation is handled through the youth services bureau of the Bossier City Police Department rather than a court fine. Only on the third or subsequent violation, after the parent or guardian has already been notified of the earlier ones, does § 38-239(d) impose a fine of not more than $500.00 for each offense or up to 60 days in jail, and that penalty falls on the parent, tutor or custodian, not the juvenile.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the Bossier City juvenile curfew start?
Under Code § 38-236, curfew runs from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. every day of the week, except that on Friday and Saturday nights the curfew does not begin until midnight, running through 5:00 a.m. It applies to anyone who has not yet turned 17.
Can parents be charged if their child breaks curfew?
Yes. Section 38-237(a) makes it unlawful for a parent to knowingly permit, or through neglect fail to control, a juvenile who is out in a public place during curfew hours. The juvenile can also be cited directly under § 38-237(b), but repeat parental fines under § 38-239(d) only attach starting with the third documented violation.
Are there exceptions to the Bossier City curfew?
Section 38-238 excuses a juvenile accompanied by a parent or other adult with custody, one attending a religious, educational or nonprofit activity the sponsor has registered with the police chief in advance, and one on a documented emergency errand or business directed by a parent, provided the juvenile carries proof of the errand's start and end time.

Sources & Official References

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