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St. Louis, MO Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Curfew hours
10 p.m.–6 a.m., citywide
Fine range
$1.00–$500.00
Exemptions
Permits, through-travel, city staff
Vehicle parking
Also banned 10 p.m.–6 a.m.
Stricter local curfews
Mt. Pleasant, Buder, other parks

Summary

St. Louis bans loitering, idling, or playing in any public park or playground from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. year-round, with exceptions for permit holders and through-travelers.

No person shall loiter, idle, wander, stroll, play or otherwise be in or upon the confines of any public park or playground or the public areas immediately adjacent thereto between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. throughout the year.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 11).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 22.18 of the city code sets a citywide curfew for every public park and playground: no person may loiter, idle, wander, stroll, play, or otherwise remain in a park or the areas immediately adjacent to it between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., any day of the year. The curfew doesn't apply to anyone holding a special-use permit from the Board of Public Service or the Parks Director, anyone passing straight through on a public right-of-way between two separate entrances, or city employees on duty. Parking a vehicle in a park during those same hours is separately banned under § 22.18.030. A handful of individual parks, Mt. Pleasant, Buder, Marie Fowler, Phillip J. Lucier, and a cluster including Chambers and Tiffany Parks, carry their own, often earlier, curfew hours layered on top of this citywide rule.

Violations & Fines

Violating the park curfew is punishable by a fine of not less than $1.00 nor more than $500.00 per § 22.18.050. The Parks Department is required to post the curfew notice in every park and playground.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sit in a St. Louis park after dark?
Not between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.: the citywide park curfew bars loitering, idling, or playing during those hours unless you're passing straight through or hold a permit.
What's the penalty for breaking the park curfew?
A fine of $1.00 to $500.00 under city code § 22.18.050, issued for violating the loitering/curfew provisions of Chapter 22.18.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in St. Louis

Public Marijuana UseSome RestrictionsAggressive PanhandlingSignificant RestrictionsPublic Alcohol UseFew RestrictionsJaywalkingSignificant RestrictionsPublic UrinationSignificant RestrictionsLoud Party OrdinanceSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Towing & Impound RightsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSignificant RestrictionsFence Regulations: Fence Permit RequirementsSome RestrictionsFire Regulations: Smoke DetectorsSome Restrictions

All St. Louis rules

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