Monroe Township (Middlesex County), NJ Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Chapter 28 of the Monroe Township Code, adopted by the Township Committee (now the Township Council) in 1962, sets a single curfew hour for minors. Section 28-1 makes it unlawful for any child under the age of 17 to be upon any public street, park, public place or quasi-public place, on foot or in any vehicle, after 10:00 p.m., prevailing time. The child is safe if accompanied by a parent, guardian, a member of his or her immediate family over the age of 18, or another person who has legal custody and control of the child.

Section 28-2 puts the duty on adults too: it is unlawful for any parent, guardian or other person with custody and control of a child under 17 to allow, suffer or permit the child to be in the streets, parks, public places or quasi-public places in the Township after 10:00 p.m. Section 28-3 exempts a minor who is gainfully employed or a bona fide student of a school of instruction, but only during the time necessarily required to travel between the child's residence and the place of employment or instruction. Section 28-4 covers emergencies: a child dispatched on an errand after the curfew hour must carry a note signed by a person in the immediate household over 18 stating the nature of the errand, the necessity, the place the child is going, the time the note was issued and the time required.

Enforcement runs through § 28-5. Any policeman or truant officer can take a child into custody in the act of violating the chapter, must return the child to his home, and must notify the parent of the violation and of the penalty for a second or subsequent violation. The officer also reports the violation to the Chief of Police of the Township of Monroe, who keeps a record. The child is released immediately into the custody of the parent or person with legal care or custody.