Walworth County, WI Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Walworth County Code § 38-122
- Weeknight hours
- 11:00 p.m.–4:00 a.m. Sun-Thu
- Weekend hours
- 12:00 a.m.–4:00 a.m. Fri-Sat
- First offense
- Warning
- Fourth offense (minor)
- $75.00-$100.00
- Parent liability
- § 38-123, separate escalating fines
Summary
In unincorporated Walworth County, children may not loiter, wander or play in public places between 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or between midnight and 4:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, unless with a parent or guardian.
No child shall loiter, idle, wander or play, either on foot or in a vehicle of any nature whatsoever, upon the streets, alleys, highways, roads, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, public grounds, vacant lots or other unsupervised places of the County between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or other adult person having care and custody of the child; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to children while they are returning home from functions authorized by the governing body of any public or parochial school or church, or children traveling to or from their place of employment, provided the child is using the shortest and most direct route reasonably possible under the circumstances. ... Forfeitures.(1)Minor curfew:a.First violation: Warning.b.Second violation: $25.00—$50.00.c.Third violation: $50.00—$75.00.d.Fourth violation: $75.00—$100.00.
Full Breakdown
Walworth County Code § 38-122 bars a child from loitering, idling, wandering or playing, on foot or in a vehicle, on the streets, alleys, highways, roads, sidewalks, parks, playgrounds, public grounds, vacant lots or other unsupervised places of the county during the curfew hours, unless accompanied by a parent, guardian or other adult with care and custody of the child. The ordinance exempts children returning home from an authorized public or parochial school or church function, and children traveling to or from work, provided they use the shortest and most direct route reasonably possible.
A companion section, § 38-123, makes it a separate violation for a parent, guardian or other adult with custody to knowingly permit a child to violate the same curfew hours, unless the child qualifies for the school, church or work exemption. The definitions in § 38-121 pull 'child' from Wis. 02(2). Enforcement runs through the County Sheriff's Department: a deputy who catches a child violating the curfew for the first time issues a warning and delivers the child to the person with legal custody, logging the incident in Sheriff's Department records; a second or later violation is handled under Wis. ch. 48 or 938 in addition to the county's own escalating forfeiture schedule.
Violations & Fines
Under § 38-124, a minor's curfew violations escalate on a written schedule: a warning for the first offense, $25.00 to $50.00 for the second, $50.00 to $75.00 for the third, and $75.00 to $100.00 for the fourth. Parents or guardians who knowingly permit a violation face their own escalating schedule: a warning for the first offense, $50.00 to $75.00 for the second, $75.00 to $100.00 for the third, and $100.00 to $125.00 for the fourth, plus costs of prosecution, with jail of up to five days for unpaid forfeitures and costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the curfew hours for minors in Walworth County?
Is there an exception for kids coming home from work or church?
Can parents be fined for a child's curfew violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Walworth County
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