Rochester, MN Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Under-16 curfew
- 10:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
- Ages 16-17 curfew
- Midnight to 5:00 a.m.
- Adult penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 90 days jail
- Minor penalty
- May be adjudicated delinquent
- Chapter expires
- December 31, 2026 unless renewed
- Governing law
- City Code Ch. 8-8, §§ 8-8-3, 8-8-4
Summary
Rochester bars minors under 16 from public streets, parks and places of amusement between 10:30 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., and minors 16 and 17 between midnight and 5:00 a.m. Violating adults face a misdemeanor with up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail.
Sec. 8-8-3. - Hours—Minors under the age of 16 years. No minor under the age of 16 years shall be in or upon the public streets, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places and public buildings, places of amusement, entertainment or refreshment, or vacant lots, between the hours of 10:30 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following day, official city time. Sec. 8-8-4. - Hours—Minors ages 16 to 18 years. No minor of the age of 16 or 17 years shall be in or upon the public streets, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places and public buildings, places of amusement, entertainment or refreshment, or vacant lots, between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 5:00 a.m. of the following day, official city time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 8-8 sets two curfew tiers keyed to official city time, the master clock at the Olmsted County/City of Rochester Law Enforcement Center. the following day. m. Section 8-8-5 makes clear the curfew does not override a parent's own, stricter rules for a child, nor does it diminish the control of the adult responsible for the minor. Section 8-8-6 lists six exceptions: a minor accompanied by a parent or guardian; a minor on an emergency errand directed by a parent; a minor traveling to or from lawful employment while carrying written proof of employment and required work hours; a minor at a school-sanctioned activity; a minor passing through the city during interstate travel; and a minor exercising First Amendment rights of speech, assembly or religion, provided the city clerk is notified in advance of the gathering.
Section 8-8-7 makes it a violation for a parent, guardian or other adult with primary care of a minor to permit any breach of the chapter, and Section 8-8-8 places the same duty on anyone operating a place of amusement, entertainment or refreshment, who may not let a minor enter or remain there during curfew hours unless accompanied by a responsible adult. Section 8-8-10 sunsets the chapter each cycle, currently expiring after December 31, 2026, so the council must periodically re-adopt it.
Violations & Fines
Section 8-8-9 makes an adult's violation a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both. A minor found violating the chapter may instead be adjudicated delinquent rather than fined or jailed. Enforcement runs on official city time from the joint Olmsted County/City of Rochester Law Enforcement Center dispatch clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Rochester's juvenile curfew start?
Are working teens exempt from the Rochester curfew?
Who gets fined if a Rochester minor breaks curfew?
Does the Rochester curfew ever expire?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rochester
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