Monterey, CA Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)

Monterey City Code § 23-5 puts closing-hour authority in the hands of the Parks and Recreation Commission rather than fixing a single citywide curfew in the code itself, so the exact closing time differs park by park and is controlled by the posted signage rather than a printed clock time. The Director is responsible for making sure at least two signs go up at each park listing the current opening and closing hours, and each sign must measure at least two feet by two feet so it is legible.

Anyone who enters or stays on park premises, including the parking lots that serve those parks, once the posted hours have ended is violating the section unless they hold a special permit issued by the Director; that permit route is the same mechanism the code uses elsewhere in Chapter 23, for example the overnight camping permits at Veterans Memorial Park under § 23-9, which run on a three-nights-in, one-night-out cycle capped at 30 nights. , which is also the window in which § 23-3 bars open fires outside a City fireplace or fire ring, so after-hours entry, overnight camping outside Veterans Memorial Park, and unpermitted nighttime fires are enforced together as a package rather than as one isolated curfew rule. 5, with a right to appeal the expulsion to the Director in writing within five business days and a hearing within fourteen days.