Fresno, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Section 9-2508 states the prohibition broadly: no person under eighteen may 'loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play' in or upon public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds, other public grounds, public places and buildings, places of amusement and eating places, vacant lots, or any unsupervised place during curfew hours. The three built-in exceptions are narrow: the minor is accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult with care and custody; the minor is on an emergency errand directed by that same parent or guardian; or the minor is 'returning directly home' from a meeting, entertainment, recreational activity, or dance.

Section 9-2509 sets out how the city recovers its costs when a minor is stopped. An officer may temporarily detain a minor on reasonable suspicion of a curfew violation and transport them home or to a parent or guardian, unless the officer finds a legitimate, extenuating-circumstances reason not to. The first violation draws only a warning citation, plus a mailed notice to the parents describing the consequences of a second violation and requiring a signed acknowledgment. From the second violation on, the city may bill the minor and/or the parents jointly or severally for the actual administrative and transportation costs of the response. A parent or minor billed for those costs can petition for a hearing on the fee's validity and request a good-cause waiver.