Clovis, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew window
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- anyone under 18
- Enforcing agency
- Clovis Police Department
- Exceptions
- 9 statutory defenses (§5.7.05)
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Effective date
- February 9, 2011 (Ord. 10-21)
Summary
Clovis bans anyone under 18 from being in any public place or on the premises of a business open to the public between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. every night. Municipal Code Chapter 5.7 also holds parents, guardians, and business operators liable if they knowingly let a minor stay out or remain on the premises during those curfew hours.
“Nighttime curfew hours” means the period from 10:00 p.m. any night until 6:00 a.m. the following morning. ... It shall be unlawful for: (a) Any minor to remain in any public place or on the premises of any establishment within the City during nighttime curfew hours. (b) Any parent or guardian of a minor to knowingly permit, or by insufficient control allow, the minor to remain in any public place or on the premises of any establishment within the City during nighttime curfew hours. (c) Any owner, operator or employee of an establishment to knowingly permit a minor to remain in or upon the premises of an establishment during nighttime curfew hours.
Full Breakdown
04 makes it unlawful for a minor to remain in a public place or on business premises during that window, for a parent or guardian to knowingly permit it, and for an establishment's owner, operator, or employee to knowingly allow a minor to stay. 05 lists nine defenses officers and courts must weigh before treating a stop as a violation: the minor is with a parent, guardian, or a designated responsible adult; running an errand for a parent without detour; traveling in interstate commerce; going to or from employment without detour; facing an emergency; standing on the sidewalk next to the minor's own residence; attending or traveling to or from a school, religious, or City-, district-, or civic-sponsored supervised activity; exercising First Amendment rights such as a protected assembly or religious observance; or being an emancipated minor.
An establishment operator has a separate defense if staff promptly called the Clovis Police Department to report a minor who refused to leave. 06 requires a peace officer to ask the apparent offender's age and reason for being out before taking any enforcement action. 5.
Violations & Fines
A curfew violation is punishable under Section 1.2.01: a misdemeanor carrying up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to six months in jail unless the City Attorney or the court treats it as an infraction, which tops out at $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each further offense. Minors are processed under the Welfare and Institutions Code, and the City may also recover its actual transportation and administrative costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Clovis's juvenile curfew start?
Can my teenager be out past 10 p.m. for work or school?
Is a business liable if a minor is inside during curfew?
What happens if my child is picked up for a curfew violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clovis
California rules heatmap·Compare Clovis to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fresno County handle juvenile curfew.