Contra Costa County, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Weeknight curfew
- 10 p.m.-5 a.m. (Sun-Thu)
- Weekend curfew
- 12:01 a.m.-5 a.m. (Fri/Sat nights)
- Daytime curfew
- During school hours for school-age minors
- First violation
- Written warning mailed to parents
- Repeat violation
- Infraction within 12 months
- Enforcing agency
- Sheriff's deputies
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only, not the 19 cities
Summary
Minors under 18 may not be in any public place in unincorporated Contra Costa County between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, or between 12:01 a.m. and 5 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights. A daytime curfew also bars school-age minors from public places during school hours. The Sheriff's Office enforces both under Ordinance Code Chapter 54-2.
"Nighttime curfew hours" means: (1)On any Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the hours between 10:00 p.m. of that day and 5:00 a.m. of the following day.(2)On any Saturday or Sunday, the hours between 12:01 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. ... (a)Nighttime curfew restriction: A minor may not be present in, about, or upon any public place during nighttime curfew hours.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Ordinance Code: Supplement 103).
Full Breakdown
The Curfew for Minors Ordinance, adopted by Ordinance No. 2012-05 and amended by Ordinance No. 2024-23, applies only to the unincorporated area of Contra Costa County; the 19 incorporated cities set their own curfew rules. on Friday and Saturday nights, giving minors two extra hours out on weekend evenings before curfew starts. 006(f) as anyone under 18 who is not married, emancipated or on active military duty, to be present in a public place during those hours, and separately bars school-age minors from public places during the school day under the daytime curfew.
012 makes an establishment operator liable for knowingly letting a minor remain on the premises during nighttime hours unless the operator promptly calls the sheriff's office when the minor refuses to leave. 014 lists broad exceptions: minors going to or from work, school and religious activities, running an errand for a parent, accompanied by a responsible adult, on the sidewalk in front of their own home, or handling a medical emergency are all exempt. 016, a deputy must first ask the minor's age and reason for being out and may not cite unless satisfied no exception applies.
Violations & Fines
A first curfew violation draws only a written warning, mailed to the minor's parent or guardian, under Section 54-2.016(b). Any further violation by that minor within 12 months is charged as an infraction. Parents or guardians who knowingly let a minor break curfew, and establishment operators who knowingly let a minor stay past curfew without calling the sheriff, face the same infraction penalty under Sections 54-2.010 and 54-2.012.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the Contra Costa County juvenile curfew start?
What happens the first time a minor is caught out past curfew?
Are there exceptions to the county's curfew for minors?
Can a business be cited for letting a minor stay out past curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Contra Costa County
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