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Saint Paul, MN Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Ages 15 and under
10:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m. curfew
Ages 16–17
12:01 a.m.–4:00 a.m. curfew
Parent liability
Unlawful to permit a violation
Business duty
Must notify police if minor stays
Penalty
Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 90 days
Enacted
Ord. No. 17706, Jan. 16, 1990

Summary

Saint Paul bars minors from public streets, parks, and other unsupervised public places during set curfew hours: 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. for minors 15 and under, and 12:01 a.m. to 4:00 a.m. for those 16 and 17. Parents who knowingly allow violations, and businesses that let curfew-breaking minors linger, face separate liability under the same chapter.

It shall be unlawful for any minor of the ages provided herein at the times specified herein to loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places or public buildings, places of entertainment or amusement, vacant lots and other unsupervised places open to the public in the City of Saint Paul: (a) For a minor fifteen (15) years or younger the hours of restriction are between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. daily. (b) For any minor who is over fifteen (15) years of age and is under eighteen (18) years of age the hours of restriction are between 12:01 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. daily.

Source: Saint Paul Legislative Code Ch. 229View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

Saint Paul Legislative Code Chapter 229, "Minors, Curfew," makes it unlawful for a minor "to loiter, idle, wander, stroll or play in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public places or public buildings, places of entertainment or amusement, vacant lots and other unsupervised places open to the public in the City of Saint Paul" during restricted hours. daily, a narrower nightly window than for younger teens. 03 reaches business proprietors: it is unlawful to let a curfew-age minor remain on the premises during restricted hours, and once a proprietor orders the minor to leave, the proprietor "shall immediately notify the police department of the violation" if the minor stays.

04 exempts minors accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult with care and custody, minors on an emergency errand directed by that adult, and minors engaged in legitimate business, trade, profession, or occupation permitted by law. 05: a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000 or up to 90 days imprisonment, or both. F. No. 96-1070 on September 25, 1996.

Violations & Fines

Violating the curfew, permitting a minor to violate it as a parent or guardian, or letting a minor stay past curfew as a business proprietor are each misdemeanors under Legislative Code § 1.05, punishable by a fine up to $1,000, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Saint Paul police may stop and question a minor found in a public place during restricted hours to confirm whether an exception under Section 229.04 applies.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does Saint Paul's juvenile curfew start?
It depends on age. Minors 15 and younger must be off public streets, parks, and other unsupervised public places between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. daily under Legislative Code § 229.01(a). Minors 16 and 17 get a later start, their restricted window runs from 12:01 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., so they can be out in public up until midnight.
Can parents be cited for a child's curfew violation?
Yes. Section 229.02 makes it unlawful for a parent, guardian, or other adult in charge of a minor to permit the minor to break curfew, or to allow it through a lack of supervision and control. That liability is separate from any charge against the minor and is enforced as a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty section.
Are there exceptions to the curfew?
Section 229.04 exempts a minor accompanied by a parent, guardian, or other adult with care and custody; a minor sent on an emergency errand or legitimate business by that adult; and a minor whose presence is required by lawful employment, trade, or profession the minor is legally permitted to perform.
What must a business do if a minor stays past curfew?
Section 229.03 makes it unlawful for a business proprietor to let a curfew-age minor remain on the premises during restricted hours. If the proprietor orders the minor to leave and the minor stays anyway, the proprietor must immediately notify the Saint Paul Police Department of the violation.

Sources & Official References

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