New Britain, CT Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Age covered
- Under 16 years old
- First response
- Officer warns minor, orders them home
- Repeat-violation consequence
- Referral to state juvenile authorities
- Parental liability
- Unlawful to knowingly allow violation, Sec. 16-123
- Enforcing agency
- New Britain Police Department youth bureau
- Adopted
- Ordinance of February 1974, amended 1994
Summary
New Britain bars anyone under 16 from being in any public place between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. without a parent or authorized custodian under Sec. 16-122. Article VII exempts minors coming home from school or work events, running parent-directed errands, exercising First Amendment activity, or standing on their own property. Parents who knowingly allow a second violation face referral to state juvenile authorities.
Minor or juvenile is any person under the age of sixteen (16) or any person fifteen (15) or less years of age. Nocturnal hours shall mean the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. based upon the prevailing time, i.e., Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Savings Time, within the city. ... ... Sec. 16-122. - Violations of curfew. It shall be unlawful for any minor to remain, idle, wander, stroll, or be in any public place either on foot or in a vehicle between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, or by a duly authorized custodian, except that a minor may be in a public place under the following circumstances: ... ... Sec. 16-123. - Parental responsibility. It shall be unlawful for the parent of a minor to knowingly permit or by insufficient control to allow a minor to be or remain in a public place under circumstances not constituting an exception to, or otherwise beyond the scope of, this article.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 16, Article VII of the Code of Ordinances, adopted in 1974 and last amended in 1994, defines a 'minor or juvenile' as anyone under age 16 and sets 'nocturnal hours' at 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Sec. 16-122 makes it unlawful for a minor to 'remain, idle, wander, stroll, or be in any public place' on foot or in a vehicle during those hours unless accompanied by a parent or a custodian the parent has authorized. Six exceptions apply: returning directly home from a school, church or club activity; running an errand a parent has directed; returning home from work; traveling to or from activity protected by the First Amendment; riding in a vehicle on bona fide interstate travel with parental consent; and being on the minor's own property or the sidewalk next to it.
Sec. 16-123 separately makes it unlawful for a parent to 'knowingly permit or by insufficient control' allow the violation. Enforcement under Sec. 16-124 is graduated: an officer with probable cause first identifies the minor, warns them, and orders them home; if the minor does not comply, or based on the minor's age or the circumstances, the officer transports the minor home and warns the parent. Sec. 16-125 makes the penalty corrective, not punitive, referring the family to state juvenile authorities only after a parent violates Sec. 16-123 in connection with the minor's second curfew violation.
Violations & Fines
A minor found in any public place between 10:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. without a parent, custodian or a Sec. 16-122 exception is in violation. New Britain police first warn and escort the minor home under Sec. 16-124; there is no direct fine on the minor. A parent who knowingly allows a second violation is referred under Sec. 16-125 to state juvenile authorities for investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does New Britain's curfew for minors start?
Can a minor be out after 10 p.m. for a legitimate reason?
What happens to parents if their child violates curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Britain
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