Compton, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Age covered
- Under 18 years old
- Daytime school curfew
- 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. school days
- Violation class
- Infraction, court-set fine
- Truancy program fee
- $25 within 48 hours
- Enforcing check
- Officer must ask age, reason
Summary
Compton bars anyone under 18 from public places between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under Municipal Code Sec. 7-2.2. Officers must ask a minor's age and reason for being out before acting, and the offense is treated as an infraction with a court-set fine rather than a criminal charge, unless the minor demands juvenile court proceedings.
It is unlawful for any minor under the age of 18 years to be in any public place within the City between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the date immediately following, except as provided under Subsection 7-2.3.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code Sec. of the following day. 3 carves out exemptions: a minor accompanied by a parent, guardian, or spouse 18 or older; running an errand for a parent or guardian; riding in a vehicle or on public transit; heading to or from lawful paid or volunteer work; serving in the military; responding to an emergency; standing on the sidewalk in front of the minor's own home or the home next door; attending or returning from a school, religious, sports, or entertainment activity; waiting at a bus or train station; or being legally emancipated.
A companion daytime rule, Sec. on school days, with its own exemption list under Sec. 5 covering excused absences, off-campus lunch permits, and tutoring arrangements. 7 requires a peace officer to ask the apparent offender's age and reason for being out and to have probable cause that no exemption applies before writing a citation; when the officer instead issues a notice to appear, the charge is deemed an infraction unless the minor requests a Welfare and Institutions Code Sec. 601 or Sec. 602 petition, and the court sets the fine amount.
The City backs enforcement with a Truancy Program for youths 6 to 18 under Sec. 8, which carries a $25 enrollment fee due within 48 hours of a juvenile-court referral. 6 preserves a minor's constitutional rights to free speech, assembly, and religious exercise while in a public place.
Violations & Fines
A first curfew stop is handled as an infraction, not a misdemeanor, once a peace officer confirms the minor's age and rules out every exemption in Sec. 7-2.3 and Sec. 7-2.5. The Municipal Court, not the police department, sets the fine. A minor may instead request a Welfare and Institutions Code Sec. 601 or Sec. 602 juvenile petition rather than accept the infraction citation, and a truancy referral triggers a separate $25 enrollment fee under Sec. 7-2.8.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does Compton's juvenile curfew cover?
Is being out after curfew a criminal offense in Compton?
What exemptions let a minor be out past 10 p.m.?
What is Compton's Truancy Program?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
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