Decatur, GA Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Opening time
- 7:00 a.m.
- Closing time
- one-half hour after sunset
- Extension trigger
- supervised or permitted activity underway at closing
- Extended closing
- ten minutes after the activity ends
- Governing law
- Code of Ordinances § 74-1
Summary
City of Decatur, Georgia parks open at 7:00 a.m. and close a half hour after sunset, though the closing time extends automatically for any recreation-department-supervised activity or permitted event underway at closing, under Code § 74-1.
Public parks maintained and operated by the city shall be opened at 7:00 a.m. and closed at one-half hour after sunset; provided, however, that the closing time may be extended if, and only if, at the regularly scheduled closing time there is an ongoing activity supervised by the recreation department of the city or having a permit issued by the recreation department, in which event the closing time shall be ten minutes after the ending of such supervised activity or permitted event.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
, closed one-half hour after sunset. The section builds in one specific extension: if, at the regularly scheduled closing time, there is an ongoing activity supervised by the city's recreation department, or an event operating under a permit issued by that department, the closing time shifts to ten minutes after that supervised activity or permitted event ends, rather than staying fixed at the sunset-based time. The rule dates to 1967 Code § 16½-1 and was amended by Ordinance O-91-07 in 1991. It sits alongside other park-specific rules in the same chapter: firearms are barred in city parks except for on-duty law enforcement (§ 74-2), glass containers are barred (§ 74-3), motorized vehicles are barred outside marked roadways and maintenance use (§ 74-4), and public address systems or amplifiers require recreation department authorization (§ 74-6).
The park-hours rule applies only to parks the City of Decatur itself maintains and operates, a short list given the city's roughly four-square-mile footprint; parks and green spaces in surrounding unincorporated DeKalb County, including areas that carry a Decatur mailing address, are governed by the county's own parks rules.
Violations & Fines
Being present in a city park after the closing hour set by section 74-1, without the benefit of a supervised or permitted activity extension, is enforced as a violation of Chapter 74 under the city's general penalty, Code § 1-12, through Decatur Municipal Court, and can be cited by Decatur police on patrol or responding to a complaint.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do parks close in Decatur, Georgia?
Can a park stay open later for an evening event?
Are all DeKalb County parks near Decatur covered by this rule?
What happens if I'm caught in a city park after hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Decatur
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