Mendocino County, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Ages 16-17 curfew
- 11:00 p.m. to daylight
- Under 16 curfew
- 10:00 p.m. to daylight
- Violation classification
- Misdemeanor
- Enforcing agency
- Mendocino County Sheriff's Office
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 3892 (1994)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
Mendocino County bars minors from public streets, parks and other unsupervised public places late at night: 11 p.m. to daylight for 16- and 17-year-olds, 10 p.m. to daylight for those under 16. Violating the curfew is a misdemeanor and can lead to detention under state juvenile law.
It is unlawful for any minor between the ages of sixteen (16) years and eighteen (18) years to loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds, wharves, docks or other public grounds, public places and public buildings, places of amusement and eating places, vacant lots or other unsupervised places, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and daylight immediately following.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
08 sets two curfew tiers for the unincorporated county. Under Sec. and daylight. Sec. to daylight. Both sections carry the same four exceptions: the minor is accompanied by a parent, guardian or adult with custody; the minor is on an emergency errand directed by that adult; the minor is traveling directly to or from a meeting, entertainment or recreational activity; or the minor is traveling directly to or from a job. Each night a minor is found in violation is treated as a separate offense under Sec.
020(B). Sec. 030 makes any violation a misdemeanor, and Sec. 040 authorizes the Sheriff's Office to immediately apprehend and detain a violating minor, with the matter then proceeding under the Welfare and Institutions Code's Juvenile Court Law rather than adult criminal court. The ordinance dates to Ord. No. 3892, adopted in 1994, and has not been amended since. Because the county governs only the unincorporated area, the curfew does not reach Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits or Point Arena, each of which sets its own municipal curfew rules if any; it does apply in the village of Mendocino, Boonville, Laytonville, Gualala and other unincorporated communities.
Violations & Fines
A first curfew violation is charged as a misdemeanor under Sec. 8.08.030, not an infraction, so it can carry the criminal penalties applicable to a misdemeanor under the general penalty provisions of the County Code. A deputy who finds a minor in violation may detain the minor on the spot under Sec. 8.08.040, and the matter is then referred into the Juvenile Court Law process under the Welfare and Institutions Code rather than adult court. A parent, guardian or other adult found to have directed the minor into a prohibited activity outside the stated exceptions can also expose the minor to a fresh, separately chargeable offense for each night the conduct recurs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the Mendocino County juvenile curfew start?
Are there exceptions to the Mendocino County curfew?
What happens if a minor is caught violating curfew in unincorporated Mendocino County?
Does the county curfew apply inside Ukiah or Fort Bragg?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mendocino County
California rules heatmap·Compare Mendocino County to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
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