Portland, ME Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard park curfew
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.
- Tommy's/Post Office Park curfew
- 1:00 a.m. to 6:30 a.m.
- Exception
- Passing through, or city manager's written OK
- Default fine
- $100–$500 per offense (Sec. 1-15)
- Governing section
- Ch. 18, Sec. 18-18
Summary
Portland bars loitering in any city park or public ground between 10:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m., including staying parked in a car on park roadways during those hours. Tommy's Park and Post Office Park run on a shorter window, 1:00 a.m. to 6:30 a.m., reflecting their downtown location.
Except as provided below for Tommy's Park and Post Office Park, no person shall stop, loiter, be or remain in any of the parks of the city or in any of the paths, drives, streets, boulevards or roadways of the parks between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. of the day immediately following, except for the purpose of traveling across or through such parks; nor shall any person park an automobile and remain therein between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. ... unless said person or persons has the prior written authorization of the city manager... No person shall stop, loiter, be or remain in Tommy's Park or Post Office Park or in any of the paths of these two parks between the hours of 1 a.m. and 6:30 a.m. on any given day, except for the purpose of traveling across or through such parks.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Sec. ," with an exception only for passing through, and separately bars parking a car and remaining in it on park drives, streets or roadways during the same window unless the city manager has given prior written authorization. The rule applies citywide per Sec. start. 20 and was last amended by Ord. No. 197-00 on 5-1-00; it cross-references the general loitering offense in Sec. 17-1. No specific fine is written into Sec. 18-18 itself, so enforcement falls to the citywide general-penalty provision.
Violations & Fines
Because Chapter 18 sets no dedicated fine for park curfew violations, they default to Sec. 1-15's general penalty: a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500 per offense, with every day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. City police enforce the curfew; a person found in a park after hours without the city manager's written authorization can be cited on the spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Portland's parks close?
Is the curfew different downtown?
Can I sit in my parked car in a park after hours?
What's the penalty for being in a Portland park after curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Maine curfew laws overview
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