San Antonio, TX Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard park hours
- 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Woodlawn Lake Park closes
- Midnight
- Natural/creekway parks close
- Sunset to sunrise
- After-hours use requires
- Special events permit or holiday declaration
- Offense class
- Class C misdemeanor
- Vehicles left after curfew
- Subject to towing
Summary
Most San Antonio city parks close at 11:00 p.m. and reopen at 5:00 a.m., with Woodlawn Lake Park closing at midnight and natural-area creekway parks closing at sunset. Sec. 22-28 makes it a Class C misdemeanor to be in a park during closed hours without a special events permit or holiday declaration.
(a)All public parks owned or operated by the city, except for the River Walk between Josephine Street and Eagleland Drive, Alamo Plaza, La Villita, Market Square, Woodlawn Lake Park and HemisFair Park shall be closed for all purposes at 11:00 p.m. each day and re-opened for public use at 5:00 a.m. each day. Woodlawn Lake Park shall be closed for all purposes at 12:00 midnight each day and re-opened for public use at 5:00 a.m. each day. Public parks may be utilized for special events and/or holiday use between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. on any day with the prior written approval of the director of the department of parks and recreation ("director") through the issuance of a special events permit or holiday declaration...(f)Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor.(g)Any vehicle left parked after the curfew hours established above shall be subject to towing.
Full Breakdown
Sec. , with named exceptions carved out for the River Walk between Josephine Street and Eagleland Drive, Alamo Plaza, La Villita, Market Square, Woodlawn Lake Park and HemisFair Park. m. Parks the director of parks and recreation designates as natural areas, plus the Linear Creekway Parks along Leon Creek, Salado Creek and the Medina River, close every day at sunset instead, reopening at sunrise, under subsection (e). The director can lift the curfew for a specific park during a defined window by issuing a special events permit or a holiday declaration, and the parks department is directed to write guidelines covering noise limits, maintenance requirements, limits on how often one group can get repeat permits, and grounds for rejecting an application to protect public health and safety.
The curfew does not apply to organized programs staffed or sponsored by the department of parks and recreation itself, and it is an affirmative defense that an organization with a lease or license agreement authorizing after-hours use of a specific area was operating under that agreement. Any vehicle still parked in a city park after closing is subject to towing under subsection (g), independent of any citation issued to the person.
Violations & Fines
Being in a public park after its posted closing hour, or violating a condition of an issued events permit, is a Class C misdemeanor under Sec. 22-28(f), and any vehicle left in the park after curfew can be towed under Sec. 22-28(g) regardless of whether the driver is cited. Repeated after-hours violations can also affect a group's ability to get future special events permits under the department's guidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do San Antonio city parks close?
Can I get permission to use a San Antonio park after curfew?
What happens if my car is still in a San Antonio park after closing?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
Texas rules heatmap·Compare San Antonio to another location·View the Texas curfew laws overview
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Park Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bexar County handle park curfew.