San Bernardino County, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 25.0101
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to sunrise
- Covers
- Persons under 18
- Violation type
- Misdemeanor (minor and parent)
- Base fine range
- $500-$1,000 (§ 11.0206(a)(1))
- Jail exposure
- Up to 6 months
- Exceptions
- Parent escort, errand, direct-home travel, work
Summary
San Bernardino County Code § 25.0101 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone under 18 to loiter, idle or wander the streets, sidewalks, parks or public places of the unincorporated County between 10:00 p.m. and sunrise. Exceptions cover minors with a parent, running an errand, coming home from a school or work activity, or working.
Every person under the age of 18 years who remains, loiters, idles or wanders about the public streets, alleys sidewalks, parks or public places of the unincorporated area of the County of San Bernardino, State of California, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and the time of sunrise the following day is guilty of a misdemeanor. This Chapter shall not apply to a minor accompanied by a parent or legal guardian having legal custody and control of such minor, or by a spouse of such minor over 18 years of age; to a minor upon an emergency errand for such adult; to a minor returning directly home from a public meeting, school, entertainment, or recreational activity; or to a minor who is required to be in or upon a public place incidental to his or her employment.
Full Breakdown
and sunrise the following day is guilty of a misdemeanor. The ordinance dates to 1949 (Ord. 627) and was last amended in 1991 (Ord. 3468); it sits in Division 5 (Minors), Chapter 1 (Curfew Regulations). 0102, immediately following, extends liability up the household: any parent, guardian, or other person with legal care, custody or control of a minor who allows or permits that minor to violate the curfew is separately guilty of a misdemeanor, so a parent who knowingly lets a child stay out past curfew faces the same charge as the minor.
0206(a)(1): a base fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000, or up to six months in County jail, or both, plus any required court costs, with the court free to grant probation in lieu of the full sentence.
Violations & Fines
Both the minor and a parent or guardian who allows the curfew violation are guilty of a misdemeanor under §§ 25.0101 and 25.0102. Absent a more specific penalty in the chapter, the County's general misdemeanor schedule at § 11.0206(a)(1) applies: a base fine of $500 to $1,000, up to six months in County jail, or both, with the court authorized to suspend the sentence and grant probation for up to three years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does the county's juvenile curfew start?
Can my teenager get in trouble walking home from a school event after 10 p.m.?
Can parents be cited if their child breaks curfew?
What's the fine for a curfew violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino County to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
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