St. Petersburg, FL Curfew Laws: Park Curfew (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- St. Petersburg City Code § 21-40
- Standard closing
- 30 min. after sunset to sunrise
- Named-park closing
- 11:00 p.m. at listed parks
- 24-hour exemption
- 5 named boat ramps stay open
- Enforcement
- St. Petersburg Police, POD
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 60 days jail
Summary
St. Petersburg City Code § 21-40 closes most City parks from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise, while a listed group of parks and boat ramps, including Vinoy Park, Williams Park, North Shore Park, and Demens Landing Park, close earlier, at 11:00 p.m., under the same sunrise reopening. A handful of boat ramps stay open 24 hours.
(a)No person shall enter or remain upon Park Property at any time during which the Park is closed except pursuant to a permit issued by the POD or unless permission has been given by the POD. The hours during which Park Property is closed are as follows:(1)The following Parks and/or boat ramps are closed from 11:00 p.m. each night until 30 minutes before sunrise the following day: ... (2)All other Parks not delineated in subsection (a)(1) of this section are closed from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise the following day.(3)The following boat ramps and adjacent parking lots, if any, are open 24 hours per day and are not considered closed at any time even if they are within Parks listed in subsection (a)(1) of this section or Parks included in subsection (a)(2) of this section: ... (4)The POD shall have the authority to establish later opening hours and earlier closing hours for any Park by posting signs clearly identifying the opening or closing hours.(b)No person shall remain upon Park Property after a lawful command to leave by any law enforcement officer or by the POD.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Section 21-40(a) makes it unlawful to enter or remain on Park Property while a park is closed, unless the POD has issued a permit or given permission. The section splits City parks into three tiers. curfew only to specific lighted facilities such as ball fields, a driving range, or an environmental education center, with the rest of the park governed by the general rule. Second, subsection (a)(2) closes every other City park not named in that list from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.
Third, subsection (a)(3) exempts five named boat ramps and their adjacent parking lots, Demens Landing Park Boat Ramp, Grandview Park Boat Ramp, Jungle Prada Park Boat Ramp, Maximo Park Boat Ramp, and Bay Vista Park Boat Ramp, from closure entirely, keeping them open 24 hours even though they sit inside parks that otherwise close. Subsection (a)(4) lets the POD set later opening or earlier closing hours for any individual park by posting signs identifying the new hours. Subsection (b) separately makes it unlawful to remain on Park Property after a law enforcement officer or the POD gives a lawful command to leave, independent of the posted hours. The section derives from the 1992 Code § 21-40 and Ordinance No. 694-G, adopted November 4, 2004.
Violations & Fines
Being in a City park after closing, or remaining after a lawful order to leave, is a violation under section 21-30, punishable "as provided in section 1-7": a fine up to $500.00, imprisonment up to 60 days, or both, with each day a continuing presence treated as a separate offense. St. Petersburg Police officers enforce the curfew directly in the field.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do most St. Petersburg parks close?
Are any parks open later than the standard closing time?
Can someone be in a St. Petersburg park after hours with a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
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Park Curfew in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle park curfew.