San Ramon, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

California Penal Code 647.5 authorizes local juvenile curfew ordinances, and San Ramon enforces a curfew consistent with the Contra Costa County Sheriff patrol practices. Minors under 18 are prohibited from being in public places (streets, sidewalks, parks, parking lots, common areas of multi-family housing) between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM. Exceptions (drawn from Nunez v. City of San Diego jurisprudence to survive First Amendment and equal-protection review): (1) accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or adult authorized by parent; (2) on a legitimate errand at the direction of a parent (going to/from work, medical care, emergency); (3) engaged in lawful employment or travel to/from work, with documentation if requested; (4) attending or traveling directly to/from an official school, religious, or civic activity; (5) exercising First Amendment rights (speech, assembly, religious exercise); (6) responding to an emergency; (7) on the sidewalk of their own residence or next door with neighbor consent; (8) married or legally emancipated. Enforcement: deputies making contact with a minor after curfew may detain them to verify identity, attempt to reach a parent, and may cite or release to the parent. Violation is an infraction for the minor with fines up to $250 and possible community service; parents may face Penal Code 272 contributing-to-delinquency charges for willful encouragement or failure to supervise. A separate daytime truancy curfew applies during school hours under Education Code 48264 - unexcused minors can be detained and returned to school. During the COVID era and some civil-unrest responses, temporary emergency curfews were imposed countywide; those are lifted absent new declaration.