Jacksonville, NC Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

The curfew applies to any 'minor,' defined as someone under 16 who isn't married, emancipated or in the armed services, while in a 'public place': streets, alleys, parks, businesses and other common areas open to the public. The restricted hours run from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, and from midnight to 5:00 a.m. after Friday and Saturday. Exceptions cover a minor accompanied by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult over 18, and any minor traveling directly between home, work, church, a municipal building or a school function.

Parents and guardians who knowingly allow a minor to violate curfew are themselves in violation, as are businesses and places of amusement that let a minor remain on the premises during curfew hours. On a first offense, the responding officer checks the police department's records center, then returns the minor home with a written warning to the parent; a repeat offense escalates to a criminal citation against the adult. A minor under 12 triggers a report to the county department of social services. Under N.C.G.S. § 14-288-12, the mayor may proclaim an emergency curfew that expands these hours to 8:00 p.m. through 5:00 a.m. for anyone under 16, effective 30 minutes after public announcement.