Rock Hill, SC Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Rock Hill's juvenile curfew is Chapter 20, Article VII, Division 2. the next day every night. A "juvenile" is anyone under 17 who is not married, emancipated or in the armed services. Section 20-244(a) makes it unlawful for a juvenile to "loiter, wander, stroll or play in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places, vacant lots or any other place" during curfew hours without a parent or guardian. Section 20-244(b) and (c) extend liability to parents or guardians who permit the violation and to business operators who let a curfew-age juvenile remain on their premises during curfew hours, though an operator has a defense if they promptly notify police that a juvenile refused to leave.

Section 20-245 lists seven defenses: accompanied by a parent, running a direct errand for a parent, interstate travel, going to or from work, a verifiable emergency, on the juvenile's or a consenting next-door neighbor's own property, or going to or from a supervised school, religious or city-sponsored recreational activity. Section 20-246 requires officers to check for first-offender status and take a first offender home; chronic repeat offenders (three or more violations) go to the Department of Juvenile Justice, and incidents involving a juvenile age ten or younger are reported to the county Department of Social Services.