Jefferson County, AL Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Birmingham Code §11-5-1 establishes a juvenile curfew prohibiting minors under 18 from being in public places: 10 PM to 6 AM Sunday through Thursday, and 11 PM to 6 AM Friday and Saturday. Exceptions include travel to or from work, emancipated minors, emergencies, school or religious events, being accompanied by a parent or guardian, and exercising First Amendment rights. Enforcement by Birmingham Police typically involves returning minors home and issuing citations to parents after repeat violations. Bessemer Code and Fairfield Code maintain similar curfew frameworks. Hoover Code §38-35 enforces a midnight-to-5 AM curfew for under-18. Vestavia Hills, Mountain Brook, and Homewood maintain juvenile curfew provisions. Ala. Code §12-15-13 provides the state juvenile court framework for chronic curfew violations that may warrant dependency or delinquency proceedings. Birmingham's curfew has withstood challenges based on Schleifer v. City of Charlottesville (4th Cir. 1998) reasoning that narrowly-tailored curfews with appropriate exceptions are constitutional. Daytime curfew provisions during school hours (Ala. Code §16-28-12 truancy) complement the nighttime ordinance.