Most Middlesex County cities have no general juvenile curfew. A few smaller towns have informal loitering bylaws but enforcement is rare and subject to constitutional challenge.
Massachusetts state law does not impose a juvenile curfew. Unlike many Southern and Midwestern states, Middlesex County cities have largely avoided general curfew ordinances due to constitutional concerns raised in cases like Nunez v City of San Diego (9th Cir 1997) and Hutchins v District of Columbia. Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, Arlington, Lowell, and most larger cities have no juvenile curfew. Some smaller towns retain older loitering bylaws that are rarely enforced. When present, typical restrictions prohibit minors under 17 from being on public ways between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. with exceptions for parental accompaniment, employment, emergencies, and First Amendment activity. Enforcement typically results in a verbal warning or ride home rather than citation. Truancy is separately handled under MGL c.76 s.1 through school districts and the Massachusetts Children Requiring Assistance statute.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County has no operational county government - it was abolished July 11, 1997 under M.G.L. c. 34B - so there is no countywide noise ordinance. Massa...
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County treats persistent barking as a nuisance. Animal control handles complaints. Dog licensing required statewide (MGL c.140 §155).
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County has no unified leaf blower ordinance. Regulations are set by individual cities and towns such as Cambridge, Newton, Arlington, and Lexington...
Middlesex County, MA
Middlesex County restricts commercial vehicle parking in residential zones. Weight and size limits apply. Overnight storage of heavy trucks prohibited.
Middlesex County, MA
Driveway rules are set by each Middlesex County city or town zoning bylaw. Cambridge, Somerville, Lowell, and Framingham regulate curb cuts, width, paving, a...
Middlesex County, MA
Winter parking bans are the dominant rule across Middlesex County. Most cities prohibit overnight on-street parking from November through April to allow snow...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Middlesex County.
See how other cities in Middlesex County handle juvenile curfew.
See how Wakefield's juvenile curfew rules stack up against other locations.
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