New Haven, CT Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Age covered
- Under 14
- Curfew hours
- 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.
- Where
- Any street, alley, public place
- Liable party
- Parent or guardian, not child
- Fine
- Up to $50 per violation
Summary
New Haven bars children under 14 from loitering on any street, alley, or public place between 8:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. unless a parent or guardian is present, with the parent, not the child, on the hook for violations.
No children under the age of fourteen (14) years shall be allowed to loiter upon any street, alley or public place within the corporate limits of the city between the hours of eight o'clock (8:00) p.m. and three o'clock (3:00) a.m., unless accompanied by his parent or guardian.(b)Responsibility of parent, guardian. No parent or guardian having the care, custody or control of any such child shall permit said child to loiter in violation of subsection (a) hereof.(c)Penalty. Every parent or guardian who shall allow any child to loiter in violation of subsection (a) shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) for each violation. (Code 1928, §§ 533, 534)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31 | Zoning: Supplement 32).
Full Breakdown
Section 18-16 sets a nighttime curfew for children under 14: no unaccompanied loitering on any street, alley, or public place citywide from 8:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m. The ordinance places legal responsibility on the parent or guardian, not the child, a parent who knowingly allows the violation is the one charged. It dates to the 1928 Code and has not been repealed. Unlike many modern teen curfews, this one is narrowly age-capped at under 14 and doesn't set separate weekend hours or daytime school-hour provisions.
Violations & Fines
A parent or guardian who permits the violation is guilty of a misdemeanor, fined up to $50 for each violation: the child is not directly penalized under this section.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is New Haven's curfew for young children?
Who gets fined if a young child breaks New Haven's nighttime curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Haven
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