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Madera, CA Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Winter closing hour
10:00 p.m. to daylight, Nov 1-Mar 1
Summer closing hour
11:00 p.m. to daylight, Mar 2-Oct 31
Governing section
Madera Municipal Code Section 4-4.05
After-hours access
Written Police Chief permit required
Penalty
Misdemeanor under Section 4-4.05(B)
Permit factors
Police problems, age, hours, delinquency levels considered

Summary

Madera closes its parks overnight: no one may enter, remain, or loiter in a city park between 10:00 p.m. and daylight from November 1 through March 1, or between 11:00 p.m. and daylight the rest of the year, without written Police Chief permission. Violating Section 4-4.05 is a misdemeanor.

§ 4-4.05 RESTRICTIONS ON USE OF PARKS. ... (A) It shall be unlawful for any person to enter, remain in, or loiter in any park in the city between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and daylight immediately following during the period from November 1, to and including March 1, and between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and daylight immediately following during the period from March 2, to and including October 31, without the written permission of the Police Chief. ... (B) Violation of this section is expressly declared to be a misdemeanor.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2024 S-50: Current through Ordinance 1010 C.S., passed 6-5-24).

Full Breakdown

to daylight during the longer daylight period of March 2 through October 31. The only way around the after-hours ban is written permission from the Police Chief, who is authorized to issue a permit for use of a park after those hours on receipt of a written application filed within whatever time the Chief prescribes. Before granting a permit, the Police Chief must determine the proposed activity will not harm public health, safety, or general welfare, weighing factors the section lists by name: anticipated police problems, the age of participants, the hours of the activity, the physical condition of the park premises to be used, the current level of neighborhood delinquency, the location of the activity, and other similar factors.

The Chief may also attach conditions to a granted permit covering the nature of the activity, how park property will be used, and trash accumulation, among other factors needed to protect health, safety, and welfare. Subsection (B) expressly declares a violation of the section a misdemeanor, so unlike some Title IV park provisions that fall back to the city's general infraction default, an after-hours park violation keeps the higher misdemeanor classification the ordinance itself assigns. in 1991.

Violations & Fines

Entering, remaining in, or loitering in a Madera park after the seasonal closing hour without a Police Chief permit is a misdemeanor under Section 4-4.05(B). Because the section expressly labels the offense a misdemeanor, it does not fall back to the infraction default that otherwise applies to city ordinances adopted after June 1, 1981 under Section 1-2.01(C).

Frequently Asked Questions

What time do Madera city parks close?
Parks close at 10:00 p.m. from November 1 through March 1, and at 11:00 p.m. from March 2 through October 31, reopening at daylight each day. Entering, remaining, or loitering in a park after these hours without a permit violates Madera Municipal Code Section 4-4.05(A).
Can I get permission to use a Madera park after closing hours?
Yes. Section 4-4.05(A) lets the Police Chief issue a written permit for after-hours park use on a written application filed within the time the Chief prescribes. The Chief must first find the proposed activity will not harm public health, safety, or general welfare.
What is the penalty for being in a Madera park after hours?
Section 4-4.05(B) expressly declares a violation of the after-hours park restriction a misdemeanor. That classification stands even though many city ordinances adopted since 1981 default to infractions, because Section 4-4.05 itself designates the higher misdemeanor penalty.

Sources & Official References

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