Lodi, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Covered minors
- Under age 18
- Governing chapter
- Municipal Code Ch. 9.10
- Parent/guardian violation
- Misdemeanor under § 9.10.030
- Max misdemeanor penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Key exceptions
- Work, school events, errands, emergencies
Summary
Lodi bans minors under 18 from loitering in any public place between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. under Municipal Code Chapter 9.10. Parents or guardians who knowingly let a minor violate the curfew commit a misdemeanor. Several everyday exceptions, including work, school events and parental errands, keep the rule from reaching supervised or authorized activity.
It is unlawful for a minor, as defined herein, to loiter in any public place within the city between the hours of eleven p.m. and five a.m. of the following day, subject to the definitions and exceptions contained in this chapter. ... It is unlawful and a misdemeanor for any parent or guardian having the legal care or custody of a minor to knowingly allow or permit such minor to violate the provisions of this chapter. ... "Minor" means a person under the age of eighteen years. "Public place" means any street, sidewalk, alley, park, outdoor recreation facility, or other similar publicly-owned property generally open to the public, and shall also include privately-owned property customarily open to the public, including but not limited to restaurants, malls, and parking lots, but shall not include theaters, arcades or similar places of supervised amusement.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
of the following day. The code defines "public place" broadly: streets, sidewalks, alleys, parks and outdoor recreation facilities, plus privately owned property customarily open to the public such as restaurants, malls and parking lots, though it excludes theaters, arcades and similar supervised amusement venues. 010 tie the ordinance to concerns about gang contact, illegal drugs and other unlawful activity among unsupervised minors during those hours. 050 lists five exceptions: emancipated minors, minors accompanied by a parent or other adult with legal custody, minors on a specific errand directed by a parent or guardian, minors going directly to or from work, school functions or a place of public amusement with parental knowledge and consent, and minors responding to an emergency affecting their own health and safety or that of an employer or immediate family member.
m. 030 separately makes it unlawful, and a misdemeanor, for a parent or guardian with legal care or custody of a minor to knowingly allow or permit the minor to violate the chapter; the ordinance does not itself state the minor's own penalty tier.
Violations & Fines
A parent or guardian who knowingly allows a minor to violate the curfew is guilty of a misdemeanor under Section 9.10.030. General penalty rules at Section 1.08.010 apply to violations of the code not otherwise specified: a misdemeanor conviction carries up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail, or both, while an infraction carries escalating fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year and $500 for each additional violation within a year. Each day a violation continues can count as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Lodi's juvenile curfew start and end?
Can my teen be out after 11 p.m. for work or school events?
Who gets in trouble if a minor breaks curfew in Lodi?
Does just being outside late at night violate Lodi's curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lodi
California rules heatmap·Compare Lodi to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle juvenile curfew.