Palmdale, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. every night
- Who is covered
- Any minor under 18 years old
- Parent liability
- Parents/guardians who knowingly permit a violation are liable
- Defenses
- 9 listed, including work, errands, emergencies, First Amendment
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Officer duty
- Must ask age/reason before citing or arresting a minor
Summary
Minors under 18 may not be in any public place or business establishment in Palmdale between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under PMC § 9.28.011. Parents or guardians who knowingly let a minor violate curfew are equally liable, though the ordinance lists nine specific defenses, from work and errands to First Amendment activity.
"Curfew hours" means the period from 10:00 p.m. any evening of the week until 6:00 a.m. of the following day. ... § 9.28.011. Curfew restrictions. (A) It is unlawful for any minor to be present in any public place or on the premises of any establishment within the City of Palmdale during curfew hours. (B) It is unlawful for any parent or guardian or a minor knowingly to permit, or by insufficient control to allow, the minor to be present in any public place or on the premises of any establishment within the City during curfew hours.
Full Breakdown
PMC § 9.28.010 sets curfew hours as 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. every night of the week, and § 9.28.011(A) makes it unlawful for any minor, defined as anyone under 18, to be present in a public place or on the premises of any privately owned business open to the public during those hours. Subsection (B) extends liability to any parent or guardian who knowingly permits, or fails through insufficient control to prevent, a minor from being out during curfew.
The ordinance lists nine specific defenses in § 9.28.011(C): being accompanied by a parent, guardian, or a responsible adult at least 18 years old; running an errand for a parent without a detour; traveling interstate in a vehicle; going to, from, or working an employment activity without a detour; responding to an emergency; standing on the sidewalk abutting the minor's own home; attending or traveling to a supervised school, religious, or recreational activity sponsored by the City or a similar organization; exercising First Amendment rights; or being legally emancipated. Before citing or arresting anyone under this section, § 9.28.011(D) requires a Police Officer to first ask the person's age and reason for being out, and the officer cannot act unless no defense reasonably applies. Each violation is its own separate offense under subsection (E).
Violations & Fines
A curfew violation is punished under PMC Chapter 1.12 per § 9.28.012, meaning up to a $1,000 fine or six months in County Jail on a first misdemeanor conviction, and each night a minor or a permitting parent is out past curfew counts as a separate offense. Nothing in the curfew article limits a Law Enforcement Officer's normal power to investigate, detain, or arrest under § 9.28.013.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is curfew for minors in Palmdale?
Can parents get in trouble for their child breaking curfew in Palmdale?
Are there exceptions to Palmdale's curfew law?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palmdale
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