Bucks County, PA Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard hours
- Sunrise to sunset daily
- 24-hour roads
- Chapman, Creek, New Galena (Peace Valley Park)
- Appeal window
- 10 business days to Director
- Summary fine
- Up to $600 plus restitution
- Ordinance ticket fine
- $25 to $100
- Enforced by
- Bucks County Park Police
- Effective date
- October 1, 2025
Summary
Bucks County's Park System, run by the Department of Parks and Recreation, is open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day unless the Department posts different hours or the Director grants written permission. Under Ordinance No. 170 as amended by No. 174, the Director may close any park section at any time, and violators of posted hours face fines or ejection from county parks.
The Park System shall be open to the public between the hours of sunrise to sunset each day unless different hours are established by general or specific notification made by the Director. C. Any section or part of any park or recreational facility may be declared closed to the public by the Director at any time and for any interval of time, either temporarily or at regular and stated intervals and either entirely or for certain uses, as the Director shall find necessary. Any aggrieved party may appeal to the Director in writing within ten (10) business days of the Director's declaration.
Full Breakdown
Section 4 of the consolidated Bucks County Park System Rules and Regulations sets standard hours at sunrise to sunset unless the Department posts a different schedule or the Director issues a general or specific notification changing them. The Director also has standalone authority to close any section or part of a park or recreational facility at any time, for any interval, temporarily or at regular and stated intervals, and either entirely or for certain uses, whenever the Director finds it necessary. Anyone aggrieved by such a closure decision may appeal to the Director in writing within ten business days.
D carves out Chapman Road, Creek Road, and New Galena Road inside Peace Valley Park in New Britain Township, plus County Way and Library Way in Bristol Township, which remain open twenty-four hours a day for transient motor vehicle traffic regardless of the general sunrise-to-sunset schedule. § 2162, who patrol the parcels listed in the ordinance's Exhibit A and the roadways within the Park System's boundaries. A person found in a Bucks County park after posted closing, without a permit or the Director's written permission for extended use, is subject to the general penalty scheme in § 12: a summary fine of up to $600 plus restitution and up to ten days' imprisonment, or, if the Department opts to issue a County Ordinance ticket instead, a fine between $25 and $100.
The Director can also expel a violator from all Park System property for six months to two years depending on severity, appealable to the Board of Commissioners within ten business days. These hours took effect October 1, 2025, when Ordinance No. 174's amendments to Ordinance No. 170 became operative.
Violations & Fines
Remaining in a Bucks County park after its sunrise-to-sunset hours, or after a Director-ordered closure, without a permit or written permission is a summary offense under § 12: a fine up to $600 plus restitution and up to ten days' imprisonment, or a County Ordinance ticket of $25 to $100 issued by Park Police in lieu of a citation. The Director may additionally bar a violator from all Park System property for six months to two years, appealable to the County Commissioners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Bucks County parks close?
Can the county close a park section without notice?
What happens if I'm in a Bucks County park after hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bucks County
Compare Bucks County to another location·View the Pennsylvania curfew laws overview
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