Gulfport, MS Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Lighted parks
- Closed 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
- Unlighted parks
- Closed dusk to dawn
- Parking lots
- Follow the park they serve
- Event extension
- Director may extend hours for events
- Enforcement
- Police and parks director, Sec. 8-79
- Last amended
- Ord. No. 3330, Nov. 21, 2023
Summary
Gulfport's lighted parks and recreational areas close at 10:30 p.m. and reopen at 6:30 a.m., while unlighted parks close from dusk to dawn under Code Sec. 8-77. A parking lot serving an unlighted park closes on the same dusk-to-dawn schedule, and the parks director can extend hours for a scheduled or city-approved event.
(a)Except as otherwise set forth in this section, no person shall be in any park/recreational area during the hours the park/recreational area, or part thereof, is closed.(b)Lighted parks/recreational areas are closed from 10:30 p.m. until 6:30 a.m. daily.(c)Unlighted (i.e., not lighted by permanently affixed artificial illumination) parks/recreational areas shall close from dusk to dawn daily. Where a lighted parking lot/area serves an unlighted park/recreational area, that parking lot/area shall, likewise, close from dusk to dawn daily.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 8-77(a) makes it unlawful for anyone to be in a park or recreational area while it is closed. daily. Subsection (c) covers areas without permanently affixed artificial illumination, closing them from dusk to dawn daily, and extends that same dusk-to-dawn closure to a lighted parking lot that serves an unlighted park. Subsection (d) lets the director allow a scheduled or sanctioned recreation event to start before opening time or run past closing to a reasonable hour, and allows the park to stay open early or late for ticketed city-sponsored or approved events.
Subsection (e) goes further for city-sponsored or approved events held in a city-owned park: the director can close the park, or part of it, to unrestricted public access during the event and during the setup and breakdown period around it, to protect equipment and materials. The section traces back to Code 1963, Sec. 18-47, and was last amended by Ord. No. 3330 on November 21, 2023. Enforcement runs through the city police department and the parks and recreation director or an attendant under Sec. 8-79, who may order a violator to leave the park.
Violations & Fines
Being in a Gulfport park after its closing hour violates Sec. 8-77 and, absent a more specific penalty, is punishable under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-9: a fine up to $1,000.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both. The city police department and the parks and recreation director or an attendant may order anyone violating park rules to leave under Sec. 8-79.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Gulfport parks close?
Can a Gulfport park stay open later for an event?
Who enforces Gulfport's park curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gulfport
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