Boulder, CO Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
- Age covered
- Under 16 years old
- Exceptions
- 6 listed in §5-6-5(b)
- Officer duty
- Contact parent before releasing minor
- Parental liability
- Separate charge under §5-6-5(d)
- Jail limit
- No jail for children under 10
Summary
Boulder bars anyone under sixteen from public streets, sidewalks, or right of way between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. under B.R.C. § 5-6-5. Officers who have probable cause of a violation must take the child into custody, contact a parent, and, if the violation persists, hand the minor over to juvenile authorities rather than issue a simple ticket.
(a)No person under sixteen years of age shall be or remain upon any public street, sidewalk, alley, or any public place or right of way between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., except as provided in Subsection (b) of this section. ... (c)A police officer who has probable cause to believe that a child is in violation of this section shall take such child into custody and immediately contact the child's parent or guardian. If, after this contact, there is still probable cause to believe that the child was violating this section, the child shall be turned over to the custody of the juvenile authorities until a parent or guardian can take custody of the child.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 167 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
, with six built-in exceptions in Subsection (b). if on the property or an adjacent sidewalk of the building where the minor lives; or while exercising First Amendment rights such as speech, religion, or assembly. Enforcement is not a simple ticket: Subsection (c) requires an officer with probable cause to take the child into custody and contact a parent or guardian immediately, and the child is turned over to juvenile authorities only if probable cause still exists after that contact. Subsection (d) separately makes it a violation for a parent or guardian to permit or, through inefficient control, allow a child in their custody to break curfew, so parents face their own exposure distinct from the child's.
Because the section sits in Title 5, General Offenses, a curfew violation is prosecuted in Boulder Municipal Court under the general penalty schedule of Section 5-2-4, though the code's own child-protection provisions bar jailing children under ten and limit jail for older minors to specific moving-traffic convictions.
Violations & Fines
A minor found in violation faces custody transfer to a parent or, if the violation persists, juvenile authorities rather than a direct fine. A parent or guardian who permits the violation can be separately charged under Subsection 5-6-5(d) and, under the Title 5 general penalty in Section 5-2-4, fined up to $2,650, though the code bars jailing any child under ten and limits jail for minors ten through seventeen to specific traffic convictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Boulder's curfew start for minors?
Can a teenager stay out past curfew coming home from a movie?
What happens if police find a minor breaking curfew in Boulder?
Can a parent be punished for a child's curfew violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boulder
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Boulder County handle juvenile curfew.