Seattle, WA Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Open hours
- 4:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily
- Closed hours
- 11:30 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.
- Exempt boulevards
- 9 named drives excluded, e.g. Lake Washington Blvd
- 24-hour parks
- Superintendent may designate specific parks open all night
- Enforcement
- Exclusion notice under SMC 18.12.278
- First exclusion
- Up to 7 days, SMC 18.12.278(B)(1)
Summary
SMC 18.12.245 sets general park operating hours from 4:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. citywide; individual parks are closed to the public between 11:30 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. unless the Superintendent designates different hours or opens a specific park 24 hours a day.
General park operating hours shall be between four (4:00) a.m. and eleven-thirty (11:30) p.m. Individual parks, unless provided otherwise pursuant to this section, shall not be open to the public between eleven-thirty (11:30) p.m. and four (4:00) a.m. For purposes of this section, "parks" includes all parks and bodies of water contained therein, trails, golf courses, beaches, playgrounds, playfields, greenbelts, and open space areas comprising the parks and recreation system of the City under the management and control of the Superintendent. For purposes of this section, "park" does not include the following drives, parkways, and boulevards: Alaskan Way; Cheasty Boulevard; Lake Washington Boulevard; Lakeside Avenue South; Magnolia Boulevard; Lark Park Drive South; Queen Anne Boulevard; Ravenna Boulevard; and Schmitz Boulevard. The Superintendent may establish specified operating hours for individual parks or facilities, pursuant to SMC Section 18.12.040, including designating specified individual parks as open to the public twenty-four (24) hours per day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 44 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
245 governs when Seattle's park system is open to the public. m. The section defines "parks" broadly for this purpose, it covers all parks and the bodies of water inside them, trails, golf courses, beaches, playgrounds, playfields, greenbelts, and other open space in the parks and recreation system managed by the Superintendent. Nine named through-streets are carved out of that definition entirely because they function as public rights-of-way rather than recreation space: Alaskan Way, Cheasty Boulevard, Lake Washington Boulevard, Lakeside Avenue South, Magnolia Boulevard, Lake Park Drive South, Queen Anne Boulevard, Ravenna Boulevard, and Schmitz Boulevard remain open on the ordinary street schedule regardless of the park curfew.
040 to set different operating hours for a particular park or facility, including designating specific parks open to the public twenty-four hours a day, Seattle uses this to keep some waterfront and downtown parks accessible overnight while enforcing the standard curfew elsewhere. 278, under which Parks Department staff can issue a written exclusion notice barring return to that park zone.
Violations & Fines
Presence in a park during closed hours (11:30 p.m.–4:00 a.m., absent different posted hours) is a violation of park rules under SMC 18.12.030, which can trigger a Superintendent exclusion notice under SMC 18.12.278, up to 7 days for a first offense, 90 days for a second within a year, and one year for a third or any weapon-related violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Seattle parks close?
Are any parks open all night?
Do the park hours apply to boulevards like Lake Washington Boulevard?
What happens if I'm caught in a park after hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Seattle
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Park Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in King County handle park curfew.