Curfew Laws in North Carolina (2026)
30 rules on the books across North Carolina, 26 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Juvenile Curfew
Hours when minors must be off public streets, including age thresholds, exceptions for work and school activities, and penalties for parents.
North Carolina: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsNorth Carolina permits cities and counties to enact juvenile curfews under general police power but requires…
Read full rule →Fayetteville
Heavy RestrictionsFayetteville's Youth Protection Safety Ordinance bars juveniles 16 and under from public places between 11:00 p.m. and…
Read full rule →Charlotte
Significant RestrictionsCharlotte bars juveniles under 16 from public places or business premises from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. for ages 12 and…
Read full rule →Cumberland County
Significant RestrictionsCumberland County's Youth Protection Ordinance bars minors under 18 from public places overnight: midnight to 5 a.m. on…
Read full rule →Rose Hill
Significant RestrictionsRose Hill bars minors under 18 from public places between midnight and 5:00 a.m. on weekend nights, and between 11:00…
Read full rule →Orange County
Some RestrictionsChapel Hill keeps a long-standing juvenile curfew: no minor under 16 may loaf or idle on a town street or in a business…
Read full rule →Park Curfew
When public parks close for the night and reopen, including rules for trails, sports fields, and playground areas.
Apex
Some RestrictionsApex town parks close nightly, most at 10:00 p.m. and some at 9:00 p.m. or sunset, and Town Code makes it unlawful to…
Read full rule →Asheville
Some RestrictionsAsheville City Code § 12-41 closes every public park within the city limits to the general public between 10:00 p.m…
Read full rule →Cary
Some RestrictionsThe Town of Cary bars anyone from its parks after dark unless the park has lights for extended-use activities or the…
Read full rule →Charlotte
Some RestrictionsCharlotte parks stay open to the public every day of the year during hours set by the engineering and property…
Read full rule →Cleveland County
Some RestrictionsCleveland County's public recreation areas along the Broad River close every night, including Sundays, between 10:00…
Read full rule →Concord
Some RestrictionsConcord closes unlit park areas at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (8:30 p.m. during daylight saving) and closes lit…
Read full rule →Craven County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Craven County closes its public recreation areas outside posted hours of operation. Section 28-1(3)…
Read full rule →Durham
Some RestrictionsOnce Durham's Department of Recreation posts a closing-time notice for a park or recreational area, being there after…
Read full rule →Durham County
Some RestrictionsDurham County parks run seasonal daytime hours, not 24-hour access. Little River Regional Park, the county's flagship…
Read full rule →Fayetteville
Some RestrictionsFayetteville makes it unlawful to sleep, camp, or otherwise stay in a city park, at the Market House, or at a…
Read full rule →Forsyth County
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem parks are open 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and it is unlawful to be in a public park after closing without…
Read full rule →Gaston County
Some RestrictionsGaston County parks are open 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. under Code of Ordinances § 12-10(a); entering or staying past…
Read full rule →Gastonia
Some RestrictionsGastonia closes every city park and greenway to the public from dusk until dawn. Entering or remaining after closing is…
Read full rule →Guilford County
Some RestrictionsGuilford County parks close at their posted hours, and Sec. 13-19 makes it unlawful to be in a county park outside…
Read full rule →Lincoln County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Lincoln County closes its parks overnight: § 97.10 sets hours of operation at 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m…
Read full rule →Moore County
Some RestrictionsMoore County Code § 10.5-11 closes every county park, playground, ball field and recreation facility once its posted…
Read full rule →New Hanover County
Some RestrictionsNew Hanover County parks close between midnight and sunrise under Sec. 41-1(20); entering, using or remaining in a park…
Read full rule →Onslow County
Some RestrictionsOnslow County closes its parks to the public between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. every night, letting only department…
Read full rule →Orange County
Some RestrictionsOrange County and its town parks close at posted hours, most from dawn to dusk, with lit athletic facilities running…
Read full rule →Pitt County
Some RestrictionsPitt County's Parks & Facilities Ordinance makes it unlawful to use or trespass on Cultural Arts & Recreation property…
Read full rule →Rowan County
Some RestrictionsRowan County parks close overnight under Code Section 16-52. Except for parks and recreation commission employees or…
Read full rule →Shelby
Some RestrictionsShelby closes all city parks and greenways to the public from dusk until dawn, with narrow exceptions for posted hours…
Read full rule →Wilmington
Some RestrictionsCity parks in Wilmington are off-limits from sunset to sunrise the next day under City Code Sec. 7-2, with exceptions…
Read full rule →Winston-Salem
Some RestrictionsWinston-Salem closes its public parks and city-owned recreation facilities from sunset to sunrise; being on the…
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