Arvada, CO Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- City Code §§ 62-151 to 62-154
- Weeknight curfew
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Weekend curfew
- Midnight to 6:00 a.m.
- Covered ages
- 17 and younger, unsupervised
- Parental liability
- Separate violation under § 62-154
Summary
Arvada bans minors 17 and younger from loitering unsupervised in any public place between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on weeknights, and between midnight and 6:00 a.m. on weekends. Arvada City Code § 62-152 defines loitering broadly, and § 62-154 separately fines a parent who knowingly lets a minor break curfew.
Loiter means to be dilatory, to stand idly around, to linger, delay or wander about, or to remain idle in or about a public place, whether in or out of a vehicle.
Permit or allow means to consent, to tolerate, to give permission, to authorize, or to give opportunity through ineffective or insufficient control.
Public place means in or upon the public streets, highways, roads, alleys, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, public buildings, private property open to the public, places of amusement, eating places, parking lots, vacant lots, private or public school parking lots and grounds, or any similar place.
(Ord. No. 4084, § 1, 8-20-2007)
Cross reference— Definitions, § 1-2.
Sec. 62-152. - Curfew. (a)Minors age 17 or younger. Except as set forth in section 62-153, it shall be unlawful for any minor 17 years of age or younger to be or to loiter in a public place, unsupervised by an adult having the lawful authority to be in such public place where the minor is or is loitering, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. on any day and 6:00 a.m. of the following day; except that on Saturday and Sunday the effective hours of this prohibition are between 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m.(b)Violations of this section shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed limits established in section 1-5. (Ord. No. 4084, § 1, 8-20-2007)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: City Council Policy Manual: Supplement 1 | Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Section 62-151, adopted by Ordinance No. 4084 in August 2007, defines "loiter" to mean "to be dilatory, to stand idly around, to linger, delay or wander about, or to remain idle in or about a public place, whether in or out of a vehicle," and defines "public place" expansively to include streets, parks, parking lots, private property open to the public, and school grounds. m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Section 62-153 lists exceptions: a minor accompanied by a parent or guardian, running an emergency errand for one, going to or from school activities, entertainment, or a job, exercising First Amendment rights, or passing through the city on an interstate trip.
Section 62-154 extends liability to adults, making it unlawful for a "parent, guardian, or other adult having the care, control or custody of the minor to knowingly permit or allow such minor to be or to loiter" in violation of curfew, with "knowingly" defined to include what a reasonable parent should know about a minor's whereabouts; a parent who reports the minor missing to police before the violation is not liable.
Violations & Fines
A minor 17 or younger caught loitering unsupervised during curfew hours violates § 62-152(a), punishable by a fine up to the § 1-5 limits. A parent or guardian who knowingly lets the minor violate curfew separately violates § 62-154 unless they had already reported the minor missing to police.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as loitering under Arvada's curfew law?
What time is curfew for minors in Arvada?
Can a parent get in trouble for their teen breaking curfew in Arvada?
Sources & Official References
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