Mesa, AZ Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Under-16 hours
- 10:00 p.m.-5:00 a.m. barred from public places
- 16-17 hours
- Midnight-5:00 a.m. barred from public places
- Parental liability
- Knowingly allowing violation is itself unlawful
- Penalty
- Up to $2,500 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Key exceptions
- Work, emergencies, school/civic events, parental permission
Summary
Mesa bars minors under 16 from public streets, sidewalks, and other public places between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., and minors 16 to 18 between midnight and 5 a.m., under Title 6, Chapter 6, Section 6-6-1. Parents who knowingly let a minor break curfew are violating the ordinance too, though work, emergencies, and school events are exceptions.
(A)It is unlawful for a minor under the age of sixteen (16) years to be in, on, or upon a public street, sidewalk, alley, right-of-way, or other public place in the City between the hours of ten (10:00) P.M. and five (5:00) A.M. It is unlawful for a minor between the ages of sixteen (16) years and eighteen (18) years to be in, on, or upon a public street, sidewalk, alley, right-of-way, or other public place in the City between the hours of twelve (12:00) midnight and five (5:00) A.M. ... (B)It is unlawful for a parent, guardian, or other person having legal care and custody of a minor to knowingly allow or permit the minor to be in, on, or upon a public street, sidewalk, alley, right-of-way, or other public place in the City in violation of the provisions of this Section, except as expressly provided herein.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 22).
Full Breakdown
Mesa's minor curfew, codified at Mesa City Code, Title 6, Chapter 6, Section 6-6-1, sets two age-based windows. m. m. A parent, guardian, or other person with legal care and custody of the minor also violates the ordinance if they knowingly allow or permit the minor to be out during those hours. The Section carries several built-in exceptions: legally emancipated minors (through marriage, military service, or similar grounds); minors accompanied by a parent, guardian, or custodian; minors whose presence is reasonably required for a lawful job, trade, or business with a parent's permission; minors responding to a medical or other emergency; minors returning from or attending religious, school, civic, or nonprofit-sponsored events such as classes, dances, sporting events, or performances with parental permission; and minors who received advance permission from a parent or guardian to be at a specific location or performing a specific errand and were doing exactly that when cited. A separate provision, Section 6-6-2, once addressed parental responsibility directly but was repealed by Ordinance No. 2585, folding that duty into Subsection 6-6-1(B) instead.
Violations & Fines
A curfew violation is a misdemeanor under Mesa City Code Section 6-6-3, punishable by a fine of up to $2,500, up to six months in jail, or both: the same penalty structure Chapter 6 applies to any offense under the article. Officers may cite the minor, the responsible parent or guardian, or both, depending on who is found to have violated Section 6-6-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Mesa's juvenile curfew hours?
Can a parent be cited for a child's curfew violation?
What excuses a minor from Mesa's curfew?
What's the penalty for a curfew violation in Mesa?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mesa
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle juvenile curfew.