Hackensack, NJ Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Opening time
- 6:00 a.m. daily, year-round
- Closing time
- 9:00 p.m. daily, year-round
- Extension mechanism
- Mayor and Council resolution only
- Extension condition
- Adequate public-safety lighting required
- Governing section
- § 117-7 (1977, amended 1990)
Summary
All Hackensack public parks open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m. year-round under § 117-7, adopted in 1977 and amended in 1990. The City Council may extend a park's closing time for a specific use or event by resolution, but only when lighting adequate for public safety is provided.
§ 117-7. Opening and closing times. ... A. All public parks of the City of Hackensack shall open at 6:00 a.m. throughout the year. All public parks shall close at 9:00 p.m. throughout the year. B. The closing time set forth herein may be extended in particular parks or portions thereof for specific uses, activities or events, provided that lighting adequate to ensure public safety is provided. Any such extension of the 9:00 p.m. closing time shall be set forth by resolution of the Mayor and Council upon the recommendation of the City Manager.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4592721; v20 updated 2026-01-06; through 01-06-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 117-7, "Opening and closing times," added in 1977 by Ord. No. 37-77 and amended in 1990 by Ord. No. 20-90, sets uniform hours for every City park: open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 9:00 p.m., every day of the year, with no seasonal variation written into the text. Subsection B allows the 9:00 p.m. closing time to be extended for particular parks or portions of parks for specific uses, activities or events, but only where lighting adequate to ensure public safety is provided, and only by resolution of the Mayor and Council on the City Manager's recommendation; there is no administrative shortcut for an individual park user to get an extension. The curfew is reinforced by § 117-6(N), which separately makes it a violation to loiter or remain in a park after closing time, and by § 117-1(A), which authorizes removal from the park facility and legal action for any breach of the chapter's rules.
Violations & Fines
Remaining in a park after the 9:00 p.m. closing, absent an approved Council resolution extending it, violates both § 117-7 and the loitering-after-closing ban in § 117-6(N). Enforcement runs through § 117-1(A) (removal from the park) and the citywide fine schedule in § 1-15: up to $2,000, up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Hackensack parks close?
Can a park stay open later than 9 p.m. for an event?
What happens if I'm caught in a Hackensack park after closing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hackensack
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