Hartford, CT Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew start
- 9:00 p.m.
- Covered age
- Under 18 years
- Accompaniment exception
- Parent, guardian, or custodial adult
- Forum
- Community court
- Max fine
- $90.00
- Appeal rights
- § 1-5 rights do not apply
Summary
Hartford bars anyone under 18 from loitering on the streets, in a theater, or in any other public place after 9:00 p.m. unless accompanied by a parent, guardian, or another adult with custody, under Municipal Code § 25-4. A conviction goes through community court and can carry a fine up to $90.00, community service, or up to 25 days in jail.
It shall be unlawful for any child under the age of eighteen (18) years to loiter on the streets or in any theater or other public place in the City after 9:00 p.m., unless such child is accompanied by his/her parents or guardian, or other adult person into whose care and custody such child has been committed by his/her parent or guardian. ... A person who violates any provision of this chapter, with the exception of a person who violates section 25-14, shall be summoned or brought to Community Court pursuant to P.A. 97-199. A person who is summoned or brought before the Community Court cannot invoke any of the appeal rights provided by section 1-5 of the Hartford Municipal Code. The Superior Court Judge assigned to the Community Court may impose a penalty of community service and a fine up to ninety dollars ($90.00) upon any person who is convicted of violating any provision of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
, unless the child is accompanied by a parent or guardian, or another adult to whose care and custody the parent or guardian has committed the child. The ordinance dates to Code 1977 § 24-5 and was amended by Ord. No. 57-93 in 1993; it does not define "loiter" itself, but chapter 25's separate general loitering section, § 25-8, defines the term as "standing around, moving slowly about, spending time idly, sauntering, delaying, lingering or lagging behind," a definition that gives the curfew's own "loiter" language its practical meaning in the same chapter.
A. 97-199. A person brought before community court on a chapter 25 violation cannot invoke the standard hearing and appeal rights that § 1-5 of the Municipal Code otherwise provides citywide, which makes § 25-4 stricter procedurally than an ordinary citation. 00, and, because § 25-4 itself imposes no separate penalty, this general chapter penalty is what actually applies to a curfew violation. The ordinance's accompaniment exception is broad on its face, covering not only a parent or legal guardian but also any other adult who has been given custody of the child by a parent or guardian, so a minor out with a responsible adult relative or family friend at that adult's care is not in violation.
Violations & Fines
A minor under 18 found loitering in a public place after 9:00 p.m. without a qualifying accompanying adult is summoned to community court under § 25-1, which can impose community service and a fine up to $90.00. Chapter 25 violations, including curfew, do not carry the § 1-5 hearing and appeal rights available for most other code violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Hartford's juvenile curfew start?
Can my teenager be out after 9 p.m. with a family friend?
What happens if a minor is cited for violating curfew?
Does 'loitering' under the curfew law have a specific meaning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hartford
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