Ventura, CA Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. (§10.300.220)
- Applies to
- Anyone under 18 (defined 'minor')
- Adult liability
- Responsible adult who knowingly permits violation (§10.300.240)
- Exceptions
- 9 listed, incl. work, emergency, supervised activities
- Separate daytime curfew
- 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. school days (Article 3)
Summary
San Buenaventura's nighttime curfew, Municipal Code §§ 10.300.220-.240, bars anyone under 18 from being in any public place or private business open to the public between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and separately makes a responsible adult liable for knowingly allowing a minor to violate it.
“Curfew hours” means the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on the following day. ... “Minor” means any person under the age of 18. ... No minor shall be present in any public place or establishment during curfew hours. ... No responsible adult shall knowingly permit, or by insufficient control to allow, a minor to be present in any public place during curfew hours.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
300, Conduct of Minors, sets Ventura's nighttime juvenile curfew. on the following day" and defines "minor" as any person under 18. 230 bars a minor from being present in any public place or "establishment," meaning any privately owned for-profit business open to the public such as an amusement or entertainment venue, during those hours. 240 places a parallel duty on adults: no "responsible adult," defined as a parent, guardian, or adult at least 18 with authorized custody of the minor, may knowingly permit or, through insufficient control, allow a minor to be present in a public place during curfew hours.
250 lists nine exceptions: being accompanied by a responsible adult, traveling to or from a job, responding to an emergency, being on the block abutting the minor's own residence, attending a supervised school, religious, or city-sponsored recreational activity, running a direct errand for a responsible adult, riding in a vehicle on an interstate trip, exercising supervised First Amendment activity, or being legally emancipated. 360 allowing referral to school discipline instead of prosecution. "
Violations & Fines
The nighttime curfew article does not list its own penalty, so a violation of §§ 10.300.230 or .240 defaults to the citywide misdemeanor penalty in § 1.150.020, up to a $1,000 fine or six months in jail, though officers commonly release curfew violators to a parent or guardian rather than seeking prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Ventura's youth curfew start?
Can a parent get in trouble for a teen's curfew violation?
Are there exceptions to Ventura's curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
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Juvenile Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle juvenile curfew.