Youngstown, OH Curfew Laws: Juvenile Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. nightly
- Applies to
- Anyone age seventeen and under
- First offense
- Minor misdemeanor
- Second offense (1 yr)
- 1st-degree misdemeanor, up to 180 days jail
- Third+ offense (5 yrs)
- Mandatory minimum $500 fine
- Emergency power
- Mayor may proclaim expanded curfew
- Jurisdiction
- Youngstown Municipal Court / Mahoning Co. Juvenile Division
Summary
Youngstown Codified Ordinances § 531.01 bars anyone seventeen or younger from city streets and sidewalks between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. unless a parent or guardian is present or has authorized supervision, and separately bars a parent or guardian from allowing that. A first offense is a minor misdemeanor; repeat violations escalate to a first-degree misdemeanor with up to 180 days in jail.
531.01 CURFEW. ... (a) No child of seventeen years and under shall be upon or about the City streets and sidewalks between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following morning, unless accompanied by his parent or guardian. (b) No parent or guardian of any child, age seventeen years and under, shall allow the child to be upon or about the City streets and sidewalks between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. of the following morning, unless the child is under direction or protection of some adult person with authority and consent of such parent or guardian for his being there. ... (d) Whoever violates section (a) or (b) above shall be guilty of a curfew violation. (1) Except as otherwise provided in (d)(2) or (3), the offense is a minor misdemeanor. (2) If within one year of the offense, the offender was previously convicted of or pleaded guilty to one violation of this section or a substantially similar state statute, the offense is a misdemeanor of the first degree punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000.00 fine. The court shall impose a minimum mandatory fine of $150.00.
Full Breakdown
Section 531.01(a) prohibits any child age seventeen or under from being upon or about City streets and sidewalks between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. the following morning unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Subsection (b) makes it a separate offense for a parent or guardian to allow that child to be out during those hours unless the child is under the direction of an adult with the parent's authority and consent. Subsection (c) gives the Mayor emergency power: on finding a clear and present danger to public peace, health, life or safety, the Mayor may proclaim an expanded curfew, potentially barring children from public places between 6:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. the next morning, and barring unsupervised presence between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., effective thirty minutes after the public announcement until rescinded or repealed by Council.
Subsection (e) allows an affirmative defense where the minor is accompanied by a court-designated legally responsible adult or is acting on parental direction during an emergency. Subsection (f) splits jurisdiction over parent/guardian violations between the Youngstown Municipal Court and the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Juvenile Division. The current version was enacted by Ordinance 12-277, passed July 30, 2012.
Violations & Fines
A first curfew violation under subsection (a) or (b) is a minor misdemeanor. A second violation within one year becomes a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000, with a mandatory minimum fine of $150. Three or more violations within five years remain a first-degree misdemeanor but carry a mandatory minimum fine of $500, still with up to 180 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Youngstown's curfew start for minors?
Can parents be charged if their child breaks curfew?
What happens on a repeat curfew violation?
Can the Mayor expand the curfew during an emergency?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Youngstown
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