Merced, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- persons under 18
- Escort exception
- parent, guardian, or custodial adult
- Activity exception
- work, worship, legitimate errands
- Parent liability
- presumed under Sec. 9.24.030
- Disposition
- referred to county juvenile court
Summary
Merced bars anyone under 18 from public streets, sidewalks, or parks between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless escorted by a parent or guardian or traveling to a legitimate activity. Section 9.24.020 sets the hours; companion sections punish adults who enable a violation and route cited minors to juvenile court.
It is unlawful for any person under the age of eighteen years to remain or loiter in or upon any public street, sidewalk, park, or other public place within the city after the hour of ten p.m. at night and before the hour of six a.m. of the following day, unless the minor is accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult person having the care, custody, or lawful control of said minor. This section shall not apply to a minor actively proceeding to or from any place of business, amusement, worship, or other legitimate activity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 - 1-26).
Full Breakdown
the following morning. Two exceptions apply: a minor accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult with lawful custody is exempt, and a minor actively proceeding to or from a place of business, amusement, worship, or other legitimate activity is exempt even without an adult present. The Merced Police Department enforces the curfew citywide, and a minor found out after hours without a qualifying reason or escort is in violation. The code does not stop at the minor. 020, the parent, guardian, or custodial adult assisted and encouraged the violation, shifting the burden to that adult.
040 sets the disposition path: a minor cited under the curfew is taken into custody by the Merced Police Department and delivered to the county's juvenile court to be handled under state juvenile law rather than the adult municipal process. 24, Offenses By and Against Minors, dating to Ordinance 1173 in 1976.
Violations & Fines
Violating the 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew is chargeable to the minor. A parent, guardian, or other adult who assists or encourages the violation faces a separate infraction under Section 9.24.030, which presumes parental responsibility once the minor's violation is established. Cited minors are taken into police custody and referred to the county's juvenile court under Section 9.24.040, not cited as adults.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Merced's curfew hours for minors?
Can a minor be out after 10 p.m. with a parent?
Can parents get in trouble for a curfew violation?
What happens to a minor cited for curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced
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