Madera, CA Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (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.
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?
Can I get permission to use a Madera park after closing hours?
What is the penalty for being in a Madera park after hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera to another location·View the California curfew laws overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.