Kennewick's juvenile curfew is set in KMC Title 10 (Peace, Safety, Morals). Minors under 18 may not loiter in public places during posted curfew hours (typically late evening to early morning) absent statutory exceptions for parental accompaniment, employment, supervised activities, and emergencies. Kennewick Police enforce citywide.
Kennewick's juvenile curfew is housed in KMC Title 10 (Peace, Safety, Morals), which covers the city's public-order offenses. The ordinance restricts minors under 18 from loitering, idling, wandering, or otherwise being in public streets, alleys, parks, or other public places during posted curfew hours. The standard Washington-city framework, which Kennewick follows, recognizes the constitutional defenses required after cases such as City of Sumner v. Walsh and Bellingham juvenile-curfew litigation: exemptions for minors accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, traveling directly to or from lawful employment, attending or returning home from an adult-supervised school, civic, or religious activity, or responding to a bona fide emergency. RCW 13.32A (Family Reconciliation Act) and RCW 13.40 (Juvenile Justice Act) govern how taken-into-custody minors are processed; minors are released to a parent, transported to a juvenile receiving center, or referred to Benton-Franklin Juvenile Justice, not booked into adult detention. Parents who knowingly permit a minor in their custody to violate curfew can also be cited. Kennewick Police Department (KPD) enforces the ordinance citywide.
Curfew citations are typically processed in Benton County District Court (for parental liability) and Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court (for the minor). First offenses commonly bring a warning or low-tier fine; repeat violations escalate, and patterns may trigger juvenile probation referral. The minor is not booked into adult detention for a curfew offense alone.
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See how Kennewick's juvenile curfew rules stack up against other locations.
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