La Mesa, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Covered age
- Under 18 years old
- Adult liability
- Parent/guardian/adult 21+ in control
- Exceptions
- 10 listed, incl. work, emergency, 1st Amendment
- Enacted
- Ord. 97-2679 (1997); amended Ord. 2010-2808
Summary
In the City of La Mesa, no one under eighteen may be in a public place between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. under Chapter 10.20 of the Municipal Code. Parents, guardians or other responsible adults who knowingly let a minor violate curfew are also liable, though the chapter carves out ten specific exceptions.
10.20.020 - Definitions. ... (a)"Curfew hours" mean the hours between ten p.m. and five a.m. of the following day. ... 10.20.030 - Prohibition—Minor. No minor shall be present in any public place within the city of La Mesa during curfew hours. ... 10.20.040 - Adult responsibility. No parent, guardian, or responsible adult shall knowingly permit, or by insufficient control, allow a minor to be present in any public place within the city of La Mesa during curfew hours.
Full Breakdown
Section 10.20.020 defines 'curfew hours' as 'the hours between ten p.m. and five a.m. of the following day' and defines 'public place' broadly to include public rights-of-way, parks, and privately owned but publicly accessible spaces like malls, apartment common areas and business parking lots. Section 10.20.030 bars any minor, defined as anyone under eighteen, from being present in a public place during those hours, while Section 10.20.040 separately makes a parent, guardian or 'responsible adult' (defined as anyone at least twenty-one with custody or control of the minor) liable for knowingly permitting or, through insufficient control, allowing that presence.
Section 10.20.050 lists ten exceptions: being accompanied by a parent, guardian or responsible adult; traveling to or from a job; responding to an emergency; standing on the sidewalk in front of the minor's own home; attending or returning from a supervised school, religious or recreational activity sponsored by the city or another qualifying organization; running an errand for a parent or guardian without a detour; riding in a vehicle on interstate travel; exercising First Amendment rights or traveling to or from doing so without a detour; being legally emancipated; and moving directly between two of the listed exempt activities.
The purpose clause in Section 10.20.010 frames the ordinance as balancing 'the safety and welfare of the community and minors' against 'the protected rights of minors and their parents.'
Violations & Fines
A minor found in a public place during the 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew, without qualifying for one of Section 10.20.050's ten exceptions, violates Section 10.20.030; a parent, guardian or responsible adult who knowingly lets that happen, or fails to exercise sufficient control to prevent it, is separately liable under Section 10.20.040. The chapter as printed does not set out its own fine schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does La Mesa's teen curfew cover?
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Can parents be cited if their teen breaks curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in La Mesa
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How other cities in San Diego County handle juvenile curfew.