Marin County, CA Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- General park hours
- daylight only, § 10.01.060
- Closure authority
- department restricts access, § 10.01.070
- Bel Marin Keys rule
- after-sunset access unlawful
- Bel Marin Keys fines
- $100 / $200 / $500 tiers
- Signage required
- every 400 feet, § 11.36.090
Summary
Marin County parks open to the public only during daylight hours under Section 10.01.060, unless the Department of Parks and Open Space permits otherwise. In the Bel Marin Keys area, Section 11.36.085 goes further, making it unlawful to enter any park, open space or shoreline area after sunset.
Parks are open to the public for use during daylight hours, or as otherwise permitted, in accordance with the provisions of these regulations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
060 opens county parks to the public "during daylight hours, or as otherwise permitted, in accordance with the provisions of these regulations," meaning after-dark access across the Marin County Parks system depends on whatever the Department of Parks and Open Space posts for a given site. 050 authorizes any department employee, designee or peace officer to eject anyone remaining after hours or after consent to be there has been withdrawn. Bel Marin Keys goes further than the general daylight-hours rule. 085(2)(b) of the Watercraft Regulation chapter, which also governs the parks, open space and shoreline areas the Bel Marin Keys Community Services District owns or maintains, makes it unlawful to perform "Accessing any park, open space or shoreline area after sunset," alongside separate bans on fishing, unleashed dogs, open fires and overnight vehicle parking in those same areas.
090 requires the district to post signs at every entrance and at intervals of no more than four hundred feet stating the prohibited activities and warning that a violation is an infraction. 100 then sets the fine: up to one hundred dollars for a first conviction, up to two hundred dollars for a second conviction within a year, and up to five hundred dollars for a third or later conviction in that year.
Violations & Fines
Accessing a Bel Marin Keys park, open space or shoreline area after sunset is an infraction under Sections 11.36.085(2)(b) and 11.36.100, fined up to one hundred dollars for a first conviction, up to two hundred dollars for a second conviction within a year, and up to five hundred dollars after that. Elsewhere in the county park system, using a park outside posted daylight hours or after being told to leave violates Sections 10.01.060 and 10.01.070, and rangers can eject violators on the spot under Section 10.01.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours are Marin County parks open?
Is it illegal to be in a Bel Marin Keys park after dark?
How much is the fine for entering a Bel Marin Keys park after sunset?
Does the county have to post signs about after-hours restrictions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
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