Modesto, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Under-16 curfew
- 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Age 16-17 curfew
- 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Parent liability
- Misdemeanor if knowingly permits
- Business liability
- Misdemeanor for operators, § 4-7.205
- Work errand exception
- Direct errand allowed until 1 a.m.
Summary
Modesto Code § 4-7.202 makes it unlawful for a minor under sixteen to linger or remain in any public place between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., and for a minor under eighteen to do so between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., unless one of the ordinance's specific exemptions applies.
(a)"Curfew hours" means:(1)The hours between 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for minors under the age of sixteen (16) years; or(2)The hours between 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. for minors under the age of eighteen (18) years. ... (a)It is unlawful for any minor under the age of sixteen (16) years to linger or remain in any public place within the City during curfew hours, except as provided under Section 4-7.203.(b)It is unlawful for any minor under the age of eighteen (18) years to linger or remain in any public place within the City during curfew hours, except as provided under Section 4-7.203.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 71).
Full Breakdown
for minors under eighteen. 'Public place' is defined broadly to include streets, sidewalks, parks, shopping centers, theaters, and even the outdoor common areas of an establishment like a parking lot or patio. , traveling in an interstate vehicle, working or coming straight home from a job within an hour, responding to an emergency, standing on the sidewalk in front of their own or a next-door neighbor's home with permission, coming straight home within an hour of a school or recreational activity, eating at a restaurant, waiting at a bus or train stop, or being legally emancipated.
205 does the same for an establishment operator who knowingly lets a minor linger past curfew hours. 206, an officer must first ask the apparent offender's age and reason for being out, and cannot act unless there is probable cause that no exemption applies; a cited minor is taken to the police station or a designated curfew center, where a parent or guardian is called to take custody.
Violations & Fines
Violating curfew is enforced mainly through parent and operator liability rather than a direct charge against the minor: § 4-7.204 makes it a misdemeanor for a parent or guardian who knowingly allows the violation, and § 4-7.205 makes it a misdemeanor for an establishment operator who knowingly lets a minor stay past curfew. On a second violation, § 4-7.206(h) makes the parent or guardian liable for the City's actual administrative and transportation costs of identifying, detaining, and returning the minor, and § 4-7.206(i) holds the parent liable for any court-ordered fine or restitution the minor has not paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Modesto's curfew hours for minors?
Can a teen be out working past curfew in Modesto?
Does the minor get charged for a curfew violation, or the parent?
What happens when police stop a minor for curfew in Modesto?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Modesto
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