Jersey City, NJ Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., under age 17
- School-hours ban
- Also barred during school session hours
- First violation
- Warning + Curfew Center counseling, no fine
- Repeat violation fine
- Minimum $100, max per § 1-25
- Business operator penalty
- $100 minimum fine and/or community service
- Enforcing agency
- Department of Public Safety, Juvenile Division
- Adopted
- 1987, rewritten in its entirety 1996
Summary
Jersey City bars anyone under 17 from being in a public place between 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent or guardian, and separately bans truant minors from public places during school hours. Chapter 137, first adopted in 1987 and rewritten in 1996, also binds business operators who let kids linger past curfew.
A.It shall be unlawful for any child to be in any public place between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. of the following day unless such child is accompanied by a parent or guardian or unless such child is engaged in, or traveling to or from, a business or occupation which the laws of this state authorize children to perform.B.It shall be unlawful for any child under the age of 17 years to be in any public place on any school day during the hours in which such child's school is in session, unless such child is accompanied by a parent or guardian or unless he or she has been excused from school by school authorities.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
the following day, unless accompanied by a parent or guardian or traveling to or from work the state authorizes a minor to perform. A second, separate ban in the same section keeps minors out of public places during hours their school is in session unless excused. m. Enforcement runs through the Department of Public Safety: an officer who finds a child in violation takes the child to the Curfew Center under § 137-4, where the child and a contacted parent are counseled by community leaders and police before release; if the Center is full, the officer can instead warn the child home and the Juvenile Division mails the parents a written notice.
Section 137-6 carves out nine exceptions, including medical or school-sponsored errands, a minor on his or her own or a neighbor's sidewalk, travel through the city with parental consent, and a special written permit issued by the Chief of Police for documented necessity.
Violations & Fines
A first violation draws only a warning and Curfew Center counseling. Any subsequent violation makes both the parent/guardian and child liable for a minimum $100 fine (maximum set by the general penalty in § 1-25) plus community service, per § 137-5. Business operators found guilty face the same $100 minimum fine, community service, or both. Anyone found guilty three or more times is a 'defiant violator' and the city may publish their name in a local newspaper.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does Jersey City's youth curfew cover?
Can a minor be out after 10:30 p.m. for a special reason?
What happens to a business that lets a minor stay past curfew?
Does the curfew apply during school hours too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jersey City
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