San Clemente, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- 9.12.020
- Curfew hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- Anyone under 18
- Parent liability
- Knowing or negligent permission also unlawful
- Each night
- Separate offense under subsection C
Summary
San Clemente bars anyone under 18 from remaining in any public place or business establishment between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., with limited exceptions. Parents, guardians, or responsible adults who knowingly allow a minor to violate curfew face the same charge, and each night's violation counts as a separate offense.
Except as provided in Section 9.12.030, it is unlawful for any minor to remain in any public place or on the premises of any establishment within the city between the hours of eleven (11:00) p.m. and six (6:00) a.m. ... Except as provided in Section 9.12.030, it is unlawful for any parent, guardian, or responsible adult of a minor knowingly to permit or by insufficient control to allow the minor to remain in any public place or on the premises of any establishment within the city between the hours of eleven (11:00) p.m. and six (6:00) a.m. ... Each violation under this chapter shall constitute a separate offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Traffic: Supplement 30 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 66 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
030. The same section separately makes it unlawful for a parent, guardian, or responsible adult, meaning someone at least 18 authorized to have care and custody of the minor, to knowingly permit or, through insufficient control, allow the minor to violate curfew. 010 to include streets, highways, and common areas of schools, hospitals, apartment buildings, office buildings, transportation facilities, and shops, while 'establishment' covers any privately owned business open to the public, including places of amusement or entertainment. Each night a minor remains out past curfew, or each night a parent allows it, is a separate offense under subsection C, so repeated violations accumulate rather than merge into one charge. 020 as the source of curfew exceptions, is a separate provision of the chapter.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 9.12 provides no chapter-specific fine, so a curfew violation defaults to the general penalty at Section 1.16.010: a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 and up to six months in county jail, or, if charged as an infraction, escalating fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $500 for each later offense within a year. Each night is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is curfew for minors in San Clemente?
Can a parent be cited if their teenager breaks curfew in San Clemente?
Is breaking curfew every night treated as one offense in San Clemente?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Clemente
California rules heatmap·Compare San Clemente to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle juvenile curfew.