Evanston, IL Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

on Friday and Saturday nights, and defines a "minor" as any person under seventeen years of age. Three separate offenses exist under Subsection (B): a minor commits an offense simply by being present in a public place or on an establishment's premises during curfew hours; a parent or legal guardian commits an offense by knowingly permitting, or by insufficient control allowing, the minor to be out during those hours; and an establishment's owner, operator, or employee commits an offense by knowingly allowing a minor to remain on the premises during curfew.

Subsection (C) lists nine defenses, including being accompanied by a parent or a responsible companion at least 21 years old, running an errand at a parent's direction without a detour, traveling in interstate commerce, working a legally authorized job, responding to an emergency, standing on the sidewalk in front of the minor's own home or a non-complaining neighbor's home, attending an adult-supervised school, religious, or recreational activity, exercising First Amendment rights, or being an emancipated or married minor under the Illinois Emancipation of Minors Act, 750 ILCS 30/1 et seq.

An establishment also has a defense if it promptly notifies the Evanston Police Department that a minor on the premises refused to leave. Subsection (D) requires an officer to ask the apparent offender's age and reason for being out and to withhold a citation or arrest unless the officer reasonably believes an offense occurred and no defense applies.