Durham, NC Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)

Section 38-8(a) applies wherever the Department of Recreation has posted a notice setting the closing time for a particular park or recreational area or facility; using or being present there after the posted closing hour is unlawful and constitutes a trespass, though the section does not apply to people present in connection with their official duties. Section 38-8(b) separately makes it unlawful and a trespass for an unauthorized person to remove a lock or barrier installed to block access into a park facility without written permission from the Department of Recreation, with the same carve-out for city employees acting within their job duties.

An editor's note in the code explains the section was originally titled "Use of or entrance into closed facility" until a 2007 amendment (Ord. No. 13460) renamed it "Use after closing hours; removing locks and barriers"; it was most recently touched by the 2022 code-wide renumbering ordinance (Ord. No. 15982). The same chapter regulates other park conduct enforced the same way, including bans on hitting golf balls (Sec. 38-9), horseback riding outside designated bridle paths (Sec. 38-10), flying model airplanes (Sec. 38-11), and breaking glass bottles (Sec. 38-13), all carrying the same misdemeanor remedy.