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Dade City, FL Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

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

Key Facts

Weeknight curfew
11 p.m.-5 a.m., Sun-Thu
Weekend/holiday curfew
12:01 a.m.-6 a.m., Fri/Sat/holidays
School-day ban for suspended minors
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
First offense penalty
written warning only
Repeat offense penalty
class IV civil infraction
Adopted
Ord. No. 716, Sept. 25, 1997

Summary

Dade City bars anyone under 18 from public places between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between 12:01 a.m. and 6 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and legal holidays, under Code § 62-52. A suspended or expelled student also can't be in public during school hours, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sec. 62-52. - Hours minors are prohibited in public places. (a)A minor may not be or remain in a public place or establishment between the hours of 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. of the following day, Sunday through Thursday, except in the case of a legal holiday.(b)A minor may not be or remain in a public place or establishment between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and legal holidays.(c)A minor who has been suspended or expelled from school may not be or remain in a public place, or in any establishment, or within 1,000 feet of a school during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. during any school day.(d)A minor who violates this section shall receive a written warning for his first violation. A minor who violates this section after having received a prior written warning, is guilty of a class IV civil infraction, pursuant to the city uniform fine schedule.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 18 | Land Development Regulations: Supplement 1).

Full Breakdown

Section 62-51 defines a "minor" as anyone under 18 and a "public place" broadly, covering streets, highways, public parks, and the common areas of schools, hospitals, apartment houses, office buildings, transportation facilities and shops. on any school day, for a minor who's been suspended or expelled, extending within 1,000 feet of a school. A first violation draws only a written warning; a repeat violation after that warning is a class IV civil infraction under the city's uniform fine schedule. ch. 39, pt. III. Section 62-53 places a parallel legal duty on parents to keep their minor off the street during curfew hours, with the same written-warning-then-civil-infraction escalation for a parent who knowingly permits a violation. 013(9). The ordinance dates to Ord. No. 716, § 1, adopted September 25, 1997.

Violations & Fines

A first curfew violation draws a written warning only; a second or later violation is a class IV civil infraction under the city's uniform fine schedule, for both the minor (§ 62-52(d)) and any parent who knowingly permits it (§ 62-53(c)). Police may take a minor into custody and must attempt parental contact within two hours before other placement options apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Dade City's curfew hours for minors?
Code § 62-52 sets curfew from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and a later window of 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and legal holidays, applying to anyone under 18 found in any public place or business establishment.
What happens the first time a teen is caught out past curfew?
The minor receives only a written warning for a first violation. A second violation, after that warning, is a class IV civil infraction prosecuted under the city's uniform fine schedule, under § 62-52(d).
Are parents liable if their child breaks curfew?
Yes. Section 62-53 makes it a parent's legal duty to keep a minor from violating the curfew windows; a parent who knowingly lets a minor violate curfew after a prior written warning is also guilty of a class IV civil infraction.
Are there exceptions to the curfew?
Section 62-54 exempts minors accompanied by a parent, running an emergency errand, engaged in First Amendment activity, going to or from work, returning from a school, religious or civic function, on their own property, traveling interstate, or attending a sponsored event at a theme park or entertainment complex.

Sources & Official References

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