District of Columbia, DC Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)

DC park hours involve two major jurisdictions: the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), which manages roughly 900 acres of neighborhood parks and recreation centers, and the National Park Service (NPS), which administers roughly two-thirds of DC's parkland including the National Mall, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, Meridian Hill Park, and Fort Dupont Park. DPR parks are governed by DCMR Title 19 section 700 et seq. and generally close from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, with hours posted at entrances. Recreation centers close at posted hours (typically 9:00-10:00 PM). NPS parks are governed by 36 CFR Part 7.96 and the National Mall closure regulation; most monumental core areas close 11:00 PM to 5:00 AM except First Amendment demonstration areas and the Lincoln, Jefferson, and Vietnam memorials, which are open 24 hours but unstaffed overnight. Rock Creek Park and other large NPS parks close at dusk to motor vehicle traffic. Enforcement is by US Park Police (NPS land) and MPD/DPR park rangers (DPR land). Unauthorized after-hours entry, sleeping in parks, and camping are prohibited. DC has separate homeless outreach protocols that do not criminalize presence but coordinate services. Special events and 24-hour permits for vigils or First Amendment assemblies are available through NPS and DPR permits.