LaPorte County, IN Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Public hours
- 8 a.m. to dusk, or as posted
- Overnight stays
- Banned without Superintendent permit
- Entry
- Only through designated entrances
- Enforcement
- Parks Dept staff and state peace officers
- Maximum fine
- $2,500 per § 10.99
- Origin
- Ord. 90-15, passed 12-3-1990
Summary
LaPorte County parks open at 8 a.m. and close at dusk unless a site posts different hours, under County Code § 93.02. Overnight sleeping in a park requires a special permit from the Parks and Recreation Superintendent. Anyone in a park after closing without authorization risks a citation enforced by Parks Department staff and state peace officers under the chapter's general penalty.
(A) Park sites shall be open to the public from 8 a.m. to dusk, or as posted.
(B) No person shall sleep overnight in any park without special permits from the Superintendent.
Full Breakdown
The LaPorte County Parks and Recreation Department sets public-use hours for every park site under Chapter 93 of the county code, originally adopted as Ord. 90-15 on December 3, 1990. to dusk, or as posted," which lets the Department post shorter or extended hours at individual sites. 02(B) bars sleeping overnight in any park unless the visitor holds a special permit issued by the Superintendent, so campers who want to stay past dusk must apply in advance rather than assume permission from a normal day-use visit.
04 reinforces the closing rule by requiring visitors to enter only through designated entrances, which closes off after-hours access once gates are secured at dusk. 80: any peace officer of the state, or a Parks and Recreation Department employee the Superintendent designates with enforcement authority, may cite a person found in a park after hours or otherwise violating this chapter, and may act either from personally observing the violation or from reliable information that one occurred. 99: a fine of up to $2,500, with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense. -to-dusk default.
Violations & Fines
A citation for being in a county park after hours, sleeping overnight without a permit, or entering through an unauthorized point falls under Chapter 93's general penalty in Section 10.99: a fine of up to $2,500, with a continuing violation counted as a new offense each day. Parks and Recreation Department employees designated by the Superintendent, along with state peace officers, issue these citations under the Section 93.80 enforcement authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the operating hours for LaPorte County parks?
Can I camp overnight in a LaPorte County park?
Who enforces the park curfew and hours rule?
What is the fine for violating LaPorte County park hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in LaPorte County
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