New Hanover County, NC Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)

Sec. 41-1 lists 20 prohibited activities covering every park, park preserve, playground, swimming pool or area, ball field, tennis court and other recreation facility the county owns or controls, and their parking areas. The final item, subsection (20), sets the curfew itself: no one may enter, use or remain in a park between 12:00 midnight and sunrise unless the director of parks and gardens has issued a written permit beforehand. The director and any authorized department employee have express authority under Sec. 41-4 to eject or ban from a park facility anyone violating this chapter, including the curfew, and that decision can be appealed in writing to the county manager or a designee within ten business days; the initial ejection or ban stays in force while that appeal is pending.

Sec. 41-3 gives the director separate authority to close all or part of any park at any time, temporarily or on a recurring schedule, for any interval and for certain uses, which can operate alongside or independent of the midnight curfew. Enforcement of the curfew, like the rest of Chapter 41, runs through Sec. of 6-7-2021, which lets the county choose between a misdemeanor charge and a tiered civil citation.