Lynnwood, WA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Who is liable
- Parent, guardian, or supervising adult
- Maximum fine
- $15.00 per conviction
- Covers
- Streets, roads, alleys, public parks, plazas
- Exceptions
- Accompanied minors, errands, employment, medical needs
- Enacted
- Ordinance 50 § 10.1, 1959
Summary
Lynnwood Municipal Code § 10.04.540 bars anyone under 18 from walking, riding, playing, loafing or lounging in any street, road, alley, park or plaza within city limits between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. The rule is enforced against the supervising adult, not the minor: a parent or guardian who lets a child break curfew faces a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $15.00.
No person or persons under the age of 18 years shall be permitted to walk, ride, play, loaf, or lounge in any street, road, alley or public park or plaza within the city limits between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Any parent or guardian or other person in authority who shall permit a child or children to violate the provisions of this section shall, when convicted, be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be fined in any sum not exceeding $15.00; provided, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to any child or children who are in company of a parent or other adult having custody of him or them as the case may be, nor to a child or children who may be sent for medicine, medical or other assistance in case of accident or sickness, or other necessary errand by a parent or guardian while in such service; provided further, that the provision of this section shall not apply to any child or children who are gainfully employed between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. or are in transit to or from such employment along the shortest course between the place of employment and such child or children’s place of abode.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3512, passed May 26, 2026).
Full Breakdown
citywide, covering any street, road, alley, or public park or plaza. 00. The section carves out several common situations. It does not apply to a child accompanied by a parent or another adult who has custody of them, nor to a child sent out for medicine or other medical assistance during an accident or illness, or on another necessary errand for a parent or guardian while performing that errand. window, or who are in transit between work and home by the shortest route. 540 is a self-contained penalty provision.
The ordinance predates the light rail extension to Lynnwood's downtown but still applies to the transit-adjacent streets and plazas that now see late-night ridership. Lynnwood police enforce the curfew, and any citation is prosecuted in Lynnwood Municipal Court against the adult found responsible for the violation, not a juvenile court proceeding against the minor.
Violations & Fines
Violating LMC 10.04.540 is charged against the responsible adult, not the minor: a parent, guardian, or other person in authority who permits a child to be out during curfew hours is guilty of a misdemeanor and fined not more than $15.00 upon conviction. The section sets its own fine cap, so the higher general misdemeanor penalties elsewhere in Title 10 do not apply to a curfew violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Lynnwood teenager be arrested for breaking curfew?
Are working teens exempt from the curfew?
What if a minor is out with a parent after 10 p.m.?
What is the maximum penalty for a curfew violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lynnwood
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Snohomish County handle juvenile curfew.