Spokane County, WA Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hour
- 11:00 p.m., unincorporated Spokane County
- Under-15 rule
- No loitering without a parent or written consent
- 15-17 age group
- Same 11 p.m. restriction, SCC 6.01.030
- Adult liability
- Misdemeanor for adults who loiter with a minor
- Penalty
- Up to $100 fine and/or 30 days jail
- Does not apply in
- Spokane, Spokane Valley, and other incorporated cities
Summary
Unincorporated Spokane County bars anyone under 15 from loitering or congregating on streets, highways, or public places after 11:00 p.m. without a parent or written permission, and extends the same ban to 15-to-17-year-olds under SCC 6.01.020 and 6.01.030. Adults who loiter with a minor outside a parent's consent face the same misdemeanor penalty.
6.01.020 - Persons under fifteen years of age. It shall be unlawful for any person under the age of fifteen years to congregate, loiter, or be on the streets, highways, in public places, or upon unoccupied premises or grounds in Spokane County, outside the limits of any incorporated city or town, in the night time after the hour of eleven o'clock in the afternoon (eleven p.m.) unless such person shall be accompanied by his parent or legal guardian or is sent by his parent or guardian on some urgent business or errand which renders it necessary for him to be abroad after the hours herein mentioned, in which case such person shall personally have with him the written consent of his parent or guardian.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
01, applies only outside incorporated cities and towns, so it governs unincorporated communities but not the cities of Spokane, Spokane Valley, Cheney, Airway Heights, Liberty Lake, Millwood, or Deer Park. , unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or carrying written parental consent for an urgent errand; the exemption also protects minors traveling directly to or from an approved job. restriction to minors aged 15 through 17. 040: willfully or negligently letting a minor under 18 violate the curfew is itself a separate violation.
050 reaches adults directly, making it unlawful for anyone who is not the minor's parent or guardian to accompany, congregate, or loiter with a minor on a public street or unoccupied ground after curfew without the parent's formal consent. The chapter defines "public place" broadly to include amusement venues, parks, playgrounds, and dance halls, and "unoccupied premises" to include county land outside city limits that is not an occupied dwelling.
Violations & Fines
Any violation of SCC Chapter 6.01, by a minor, a parent who allows it, or an adult who loiters with a minor after curfew, is a misdemeanor under SCC 6.01.060, punishable by a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in the county jail, or both. Minors under 18 are instead referred to Washington's juvenile justice system rather than fined directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spokane County's curfew apply inside the city of Spokane?
Can an adult be charged for hanging out with a teenager after 11 p.m.?
What is the penalty for violating the county curfew?
Is there an exception for a minor coming home from work?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
Compare Spokane County to another location·View the Washington public conduct overview
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