Kirkwood, MO Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- Persons under 18 years old
- Key exceptions
- Parent-accompanied, work, school or religious activity
- Parent liability
- Offense for knowingly permitting a violation
- Restitution cap
- Up to $2,000 under § 17-199
Summary
Kirkwood bars anyone under 18 from being in a public place or public way between 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Kirkwood Code of Ordinances § 17-198 exempts minors accompanied by a parent, running an errand for a parent, working a job, or heading to or from a religious or school activity. Parents who knowingly let a minor violate curfew face their own liability.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person under the age of 18 years to be in or upon any public place or way within the City of Kirkwood between the hours of 12:01 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any such persons accompanied by a parent or guardian, to any such person upon an errand or other legitimate business directed by such person's parent or guardian, to any such person who is engaged in gainful, lawful employment during said time period, or who is returning or in route to said employment, or to any such person who is attending or in route to or from any organized religious or school activity. B. Responsibility of parent. The parent, guardian or other adult person having the care and custody of a person under the age of 18 years shall not knowingly permit such person to violate this section.
Full Breakdown
m. Subsection A carves out several exceptions: a minor accompanied by a parent or guardian, one running an errand or on legitimate business a parent or guardian directed, one engaged in or traveling to or from lawful employment during those hours, and one attending or traveling to or from an organized religious or school activity. Subsection B makes a parent, guardian, or other adult with care and custody of the minor separately liable for knowingly permitting the minor to violate curfew. Enforcement follows a warn-first process under Subsection C: an officer who finds a minor violating curfew must warn the minor to stop immediately and report the violation up the chain, which triggers written notice to the parent or guardian describing how the section was violated.
Subsection D allows that notice to be left at the parent's residence with anyone over 18 found there, or mailed to the parent's last known address. A related section, § 17-199, separately makes a parent guilty of an offense for failing to exercise customary control over a minor once written notice of a first violation has been given, and lets a court order restitution up to $2,000 if the minor's misconduct caused damage.
Violations & Fines
A minor's first curfew violation typically draws a police warning and written notice to the parent rather than an immediate charge, but a parent who knowingly lets the minor keep violating curfew after that notice is guilty of an offense under § 17-198(B) and § 17-199, punishable under the general Code penalty in § 1-8: a fine of $5 to $1,000, up to three months in jail, or both, plus restitution up to $2,000 if the minor caused damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kirkwood
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in St. Louis County handle juvenile curfew.