Lower Paxton, PA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Chapter 94 of the Lower Paxton Township Code came from Ord. No. 17-16, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on 1-2-2018. It sets two tiers. Section 94-2(A) covers any minor 17 or fewer years of age and runs from 12:00 midnight to 5:00 a.m. Section 94-2(B) covers any minor 15 or fewer years of age and starts at 10:00 p.m., ending at 5:00 a.m. The code defines a minor as any person under the age of 18.

The curfew reaches well beyond roadways. "Public property" means any park or other property owned by the Township or the Central Dauphin School District. "Street" includes the cartway, curb, sidewalks, grass plots and parking areas of any type open to public use, including ways over private property so long as the owner permits public use.

Section 94-3 lists nine exceptions: a minor accompanied by a parent; a minor accompanied by an adult acting in loco parentis and specifically authorized by a parent; exercising First Amendment rights when the activity has been scheduled with the Township; an emergency or unavoidable necessity, but only after the parent has told Township police the facts; being on the sidewalk directly connected to the minor's residence; returning home by a direct route within 30 minutes of the end of a school activity or an activity of a religious or other voluntary association; bona fide employment documented by working papers or a work permit, including direct travel to or from work; volunteer firefighting authorized by the fire company Chief or designee; and riding, with parental consent, in a motor vehicle operated by an adult or older sibling for normal travel.

Section 94-4 makes it unlawful for a parent with legal custody to knowingly permit a minor to be out in violation, and "knowingly" includes what the parent should reasonably know about the minor's whereabouts. Under § 94-5, officers record the minor's name, address, date of birth and telephone number plus the parent's details, judge age on the totality of the circumstances when clear evidence such as a driver's license is missing, and try to bring a parent to the scene or take the minor home. Only when no other reasonable alternative exists is the minor taken to the police station, where a parent is notified immediately.