Asheville, NC Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- City Code § 12-41
- Closing hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily
- Enforcing agency
- Asheville Police Department
- Exception
- Parks director prior written permission
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under G.S. § 14-4
Summary
Asheville City Code § 12-41 closes every public park within the city limits to the general public between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily. Remaining in or entering a park during those hours is a misdemeanor, unless you are city parks staff on duty or hold prior written permission from the parks director.
(a) All public parks within the corporate limits of the city shall be closed to the general public between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. daily, and it shall be unlawful for any person to remain in or to enter such public parks between such hours, provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply to the following: (1) Employees or those employed by the city to maintain, protect or conserve such public parks in the regular performance of their duties. (2) Any public park or portion thereof where prior permission has been obtained from the director of parks, recreation and public facilities for an activity to extend beyond 10:00 p.m. (b) Violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor and shall be punishable as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-4.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-5: Contains Supplement, current through Ordinance 5245, passed 7-28-2026 | State legislation current through 2025 A.L.S. #3).
Full Breakdown
closure is the default rule for every city park unless council has designated the specific area a public forum under § 12-54, which lifts the closing time for that space. if the director of parks, recreation and public facilities has granted prior permission for an activity to run later. The closing-time rule traces to the 1965 Code, § 19-28, and was renumbered under Ordinance No. 4910 in November 2021 as part of a broader Chapter 12 reorganization. It sits alongside other park-specific offenses in the same article, including § 12-28's ban on entering a park except through a regular designated entrance and § 12-38's ban on interfering with animals housed in a park, all enforced the same way, as a misdemeanor under North Carolina General Statute § 14-4 rather than through a city-set civil fine schedule.
Violations & Fines
Remaining in or entering any Asheville city park between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. without a parks-director permit or on-duty city employment status is a misdemeanor under North Carolina General Statute § 14-4, exposing a violator to a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both, at the court's discretion. Each night's presence is enforced as its own violation of the section.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Asheville's city parks close?
Can I get permission to use an Asheville park after 10 p.m.?
Does the park curfew apply to designated public forum areas?
What is the penalty for being in an Asheville park after closing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Asheville
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