Daviess County, KY Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m., every day
- Who is liable
- Parent or legal guardian, not the minor
- Max fine
- $250 per § 130.99(F)
- Defense window
- 48 hours to file beyond-control petition
- Adopted
- Ordinance 1011.1, May 19, 1999
Summary
Daviess County bars parents from letting a minor under 18 be out in a public place countywide between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. any night of the week. The rule targets parental responsibility, not the minor directly, and carries a fine up to $250 per offense.
A parent shall not allow any minor in his or her lawful custody to be or remain in or upon a public place in the City of Owensboro or the county between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. during any day of the week, under circumstances not constituting one or more of the exceptions enumerated in § 130.54. Any parent who fails to comply with division (A) above shall be guilty of a violation as provided in § 130.56.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-20: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. KOC 520.3 (2025), passed 12-18-2025; and State legislation current through KRS Pamphlet 2025).
Full Breakdown
54 applies. Those defenses cover a minor accompanied by a parent or an adult the parent authorized, a licensed minor driving straight through the area, emergencies, travel to or from lawful employment without a detour, errands directed by a parent, other reasonable necessity communicated in advance to the County Sheriff's Office or Owensboro Police Department, being on the sidewalk of the minor's own home or an unobjecting next-door neighbor, supervised school, religious, civic, or recreational activities, First Amendment activity, and events specifically permitted in advance by the County Judge/Executive or City Manager.
53(B) violation; the officer may also take the minor home or direct the minor there. 56 lets a parent avoid prosecution entirely by filing, within 48 hours of the citation or summons, a good-faith 'beyond control' petition against the minor in Daviess County District Court and fully cooperating with that proceeding. 57 to be reviewed by the County Judge/Executive and City Manager within 24 months of enactment.
Violations & Fines
A parent found in violation of § 130.53(B) with no available defense faces a fine of up to $250 under § 130.99(F). The citing officer must notify the parent at the time of citation of the right to file a beyond-control petition under § 130.56(B); a timely, good-faith petition against the minor is a complete defense to the fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who gets cited under the Daviess County curfew, the teen or the parent?
What excuses a minor from the 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. curfew?
Can a parent avoid the curfew fine after getting cited?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Daviess County
Compare Daviess County to another location·View the Kentucky curfew laws overview
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