Peoria City Code Section 20-71 sets juvenile curfew hours by age. Children 12 and under may not be in public places between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on any night. Youth 13 to 16 are restricted from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Violators are fined $50 (minor) and $250 (parent), with exemptions for work, school events, religious activities, emergencies, or being accompanied by a parent or sibling 18 or older.
Peoria's juvenile curfew ordinance is codified at Code of Ordinances Section 20-71 and applies to every person under 17 years of age within the City of Peoria. The curfew operates on two age-tiered schedules. Children 12 years of age and under are subject to a 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew every night of the week. Youth aged 13 through 16 are subject to an 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew Sunday through Thursday and a 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew on Friday and Saturday. During curfew hours, it is unlawful for a covered minor to be present in or upon any public street, highway, alley, park, vacant lot, or other public place, or in or upon any public conveyance, business establishment, place of entertainment, or other place open to the public, unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or sibling 18 years of age or older, or unless covered by a statutory exemption. Exemptions include: (1) traveling directly to or from lawful employment; (2) traveling directly to or from an official school activity, religious activity, or city-recognized recreational activity supervised by adults; (3) responding to an emergency involving the protection of life or property; (4) being on the sidewalk or other property abutting the minor's residence or the residence of a next-door neighbor with that neighbor's consent; (5) exercising First Amendment rights protected by the U.S. Constitution; and (6) any other circumstance specifically excepted in the ordinance. Peoria police periodically conduct enforcement sweeps, including a publicly announced summer curfew enforcement initiative; news coverage from 2024 and 2025 confirms continued enforcement. The ordinance is consistent in structure with the Illinois Child Curfew Act (720 ILCS 5/12C-60), which sets a statewide baseline curfew (12 a.m. to 6 a.m. weekends and 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. weekdays for minors under 17) that municipal ordinances may strengthen.
A minor violating Peoria's juvenile curfew under Section 20-71 is subject to a $50 fine. The minor's parent or legal guardian is independently subject to a $250 fine for permitting the violation, recognizing that the curfew imposes a duty of parental control. Fines are processed through the Peoria Administrative Hearing Officer or municipal court. Peoria Police may detain a minor in violation of the curfew until a parent or legal guardian retrieves the minor, which may take place at the police station, a juvenile detention facility, or another designated location. Multiple violations may trigger referral to Illinois juvenile court services or to the Peoria County State's Attorney for further intervention. Business establishments that knowingly permit unaccompanied minors to remain on the premises in violation of the curfew may be cited and may face additional municipal-license consequences. Statutory exemptions (employment, school, religion, emergency, sidewalk near residence, First Amendment activity) are absolute defenses and Peoria Police are trained to verify them before issuing a citation.
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