Petaluma, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours (weeknights)
- 11 p.m. to daylight
- Curfew hours (Fri/Sat)
- Midnight to daylight
- Covered ages
- Under 18 years old
- Parent/guardian exception
- Applies under §10.52.020
- Arrest notice required to
- County probation officer
Summary
Petaluma Municipal Code section 10.52.010 bars anyone under eighteen from loitering, wandering or driving on public streets, parks or other unsupervised places between eleven p.m. and daylight. On Friday and Saturday nights the curfew shifts to midnight for minors coming from a supervised meeting, dance or party, per section 10.52.030.
It shall be unlawful for any person under the age of eighteen years to loiter, idle, wander, stroll, play or drive or be driven in a motor vehicle in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, public buildings, places of amusement and entertainment, vacant lots or other unsupervised places, between the hour of eleven p.m. and daylight of the following day, official city time. ... The provisions of Sections 10.52.010 and 10.52.020 shall not apply on Friday and Saturday nights to any person under the age of eighteen years attending a bona fide meeting, dance or party at a church, school or youth club, or a theater; provided, that on Friday and Saturday nights it is unlawful for any such minor to be upon any public street, park, square or public place between the hours of midnight and daylight immediately following, except when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or an adult person having the legal care and custody of such minor.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
010). Two exceptions narrow its reach. 020, the curfew does not apply to a minor accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or other adult with legal custody, or to a minor out on a legitimate errand or business directed by a parent or guardian. cutoff on Friday and Saturday nights, but even those minors must be off any public street, park, square or public place by midnight unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or custodial adult. 040 requires the arresting officer to notify the Sonoma County probation officer's office and forward a copy of the arrest report describing the circumstances of the arrest, tying local curfew enforcement directly into the county juvenile justice system rather than routing it through adult criminal court.
Violations & Fines
The curfew chapter carries no separate fine schedule of its own, so a violation defaults to the Municipal Code's general penalty rule in section 1.12.020: a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, or, at the discretion of the prosecuting authority, an infraction capped at $100 for a first offense. Because the person cited is a minor, section 10.52.040 also triggers mandatory notice to the county probation officer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Petaluma's curfew start for minors?
Is the curfew different on weekends?
Can a minor be out after curfew with a parent?
What happens if a minor is arrested for violating curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle juvenile curfew.