Winston-Salem, NC Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)

Winston-Salem Code of Ordinances Chapter 38 (Minors) establishes a juvenile curfew to reduce late-night crime and protect youth. The curfew applies to children under 16 years of age in any public place, establishment, or public right-of-way. Hours are 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM Sunday through Thursday and 12:00 midnight to 6:00 AM on Friday and Saturday nights. Exceptions include minors accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, minors traveling to or from work (with proof), minors responding to an emergency, minors attending or returning from a school, religious, civic, or government-sponsored activity, minors exercising First Amendment rights, and minors on errands at the direction of a parent. Enforcement is primarily by the Winston-Salem Police Department. Officers who encounter a curfew violator may take the minor home, to a parent at work, or to a juvenile holding facility if the parent cannot be reached. Parents or guardians of curfew violators can be issued a civil citation with fines escalating from a written warning for a first offense to $100 for subsequent offenses. Habitual violations can be referred to juvenile court.