Lawrence, MA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Chapter 9.16 of the Lawrence Code of Ordinances sets "curfew hours" as 12 midnight until 5:00 a.m. on any and all seven days of the week, applying to any person under 17 (Section 9.16.020). Under Section 9.16.030, a minor commits an offense simply by remaining, on foot or in a vehicle, in any public place or on the premises of any establishment during those hours. A parent or guardian who knowingly permits, or through insufficient control allows, the minor to be out during curfew is separately guilty of an offense, and so is the owner, operator, or employee of an establishment who knowingly allows a minor to remain on the premises.

Section 9.16.040 lists specific defenses: being accompanied by a parent or guardian, running an errand at a parent's direction without detour, interstate travel, going to or from a job without detour, an emergency, being on the sidewalk in front of the minor's own home or a non-complaining neighbor's home, attending or traveling to a school, religious, or adult-supervised recreational activity, exercising First Amendment rights, or being married under M.G.L. c. 207 §§ 7 and 25. Under Section 9.16.050, before arresting anyone or issuing a notice to appear, a police officer must first ask the person's age and reason for being out and may act only if no defense applies. An establishment also has a defense if it promptly notifies police that a minor on the premises refused to leave.