DeKalb County, GA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- Midnight to 5:00 a.m.
- Covers
- Minors under 17
- First offense
- Warning citation
- Exceptions
- Work, emergencies, parental consent
- Area
- Unincorporated DeKalb only
Summary
In unincorporated DeKalb County, Code § 16-44 makes it unlawful for a minor under 17 to remain in a public place or establishment unsupervised by a parent or guardian during curfew hours, which run from 12:00 midnight until 5:00 a.m. each day.
(b) Curfew for minors. (1) It is unlawful for any minor to remain in or at a public place or an establishment in unincorporated DeKalb County unsupervised by a parent or guardian during curfew hours except as allowed in subsection 16-44(c). Curfew hours means the hours from 12:00 midnight until 5:00 a.m. each day. Minor means any person under the age of seventeen (17) years.
Full Breakdown
each day, so the curfew applies every night of the week, not just weekends. The prohibition reaches everyone involved. The minor commits a violation by remaining in or at a public place or an establishment unsupervised during curfew hours. A parent or guardian violates the ordinance by knowingly allowing it, and a business operator violates it by knowingly letting an unsupervised minor remain in the establishment during those hours. Subsection 16-44(c) supplies the exceptions: a minor accompanied by a parent, handling an emergency, coming from school or work, exercising First Amendment activity, riding with a parent's consent, or in transit through an airport or bus station is not in violation.
Enforcement is graduated. Under subsection 16-44(d)(1), a first-time violator receives a warning citation, whether the violator is the minor, the parent, the guardian or the business operator, before further penalties apply. The ordinance covers only unincorporated DeKalb County.
Violations & Fines
A minor, parent, guardian or business operator who violates the curfew is cited to DeKalb County's Magistrate or Juvenile Court. A first violation draws a warning citation under § 16-44(d)(1) before further court penalties apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does DeKalb County's juvenile curfew start?
Is a first curfew violation punished immediately?
Can my teen be out past midnight coming home from work?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeKalb County
Compare DeKalb County to another location·View the Georgia curfew laws overview
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