Middleton, WI Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Under 15
- off streets 10pm-5am Sun-Thu
- Under 15
- off streets 11pm-5am Fri-Sat
- Ages 15-17
- curfew starts 11pm/midnight
- Exceptions
- work, school events, religious/political travel
- Parent liability
- for knowing violations, Subsection (d)
- Citation
- Municipal Code § 16.05(6)
Summary
Middleton bars minors under fifteen from public streets, alleys and other public areas between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, unless a parent or guardian is present. Fifteen- to seventeen-year-olds face a later cutoff, and parents who knowingly let their child violate curfew are separately liable.
Minors Under Fifteen It shall be unlawful for any person under the age of fifteen (15) to be upon the streets or alleys or other public areas in the City between the hours of 10:00 pm and 5:00 am Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of 11:00 pm and 5:00 am Friday and Saturday, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. ... Minors Over Fifteen and Under Eighteen It shall be unlawful for any person fifteen (15) years of age and over and under the age of eighteen (18) years to be upon the streets or alleys or other public areas in the City between the hours of 11:00 pm and 5:00 am Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of 12:00 am (midnight) and 5:00 am Friday and Saturday unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 3 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
05(6) sets two curfew tiers. m. on Friday and Saturday, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. m. on Friday and Saturday, again absent a parent or guardian. Subsection (c) carves out three situations where the curfew does not apply: a minor heading straight home from a school-sponsored activity that ends after curfew, a minor going to or coming from a job, and a minor traveling directly to or from a bona fide political or religious gathering in exercise of First Amendment rights. The ordinance does not stop at policing the minor directly.
Subsection (d) makes it a separate violation for a parent or legal guardian to knowingly permit their child or ward to be on the street in violation of either age tier, so a parent who is aware their teenager is out past curfew and does nothing can be cited independently of any citation issued to the minor. 05 as the City's noise, obscenity and truancy provisions, all enforced by the Middleton Police Department.
Violations & Fines
Curfew violations fall under the Chapter 16 general penalty in City of Middleton Municipal Code § 30.04 since Section 16.05(6) does not adopt a state statute by reference. A first offense forfeits up to $3,500 plus prosecution costs, with jail up to 90 days if unpaid; a repeat violation of the same provision carries a $50 to $3,500 forfeiture with up to six months' jail in default. Parents cited under Subsection (d) face the same penalty schedule as the minor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does curfew start for a 14-year-old in Middleton?
Is the curfew later for older teenagers?
Can a teenager be out after curfew coming home from work?
Can a parent get in trouble for their child's curfew violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Middleton
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dane County handle juvenile curfew.