When are curfews for kids in SLO County? See rules for minors in 7 cities
Is your child staying out late in San Luis Obispo County?
Some local cities have strict rules about when people under age 18 are allowed to be in public.
Penalties for violating those time limits range from fines to jail time.
Here’s what to know in your city:
Which SLO County cities have curfews for children?
In SLO County, a total of seven incorporated cities have ordinances establishing curfews for children 17 and younger:
In San Luis Obispo, it’s “unlawful for any minor to be present in any public place or on the premises of any establishment” within city limits during curfew hours, according to the city’s municipal code.
Arroyo Grande’s Code of Ordinance says children are subject to a “higher degree of regulation” due to their “inability to make critical decisions in an informed and mature manner.”
“The city recognizes a compelling interest in preserving the safety of the community generally and providing a higher degree of protection for its minors specifically during nighttime hours,” Arroyo Grande’s municipal code says.
In every incorporated SLO County city except Pismo Beach, adults cannot allow minors to break curfew by letting the children outside during curfew hours or failing to keep them out of public spaces.
When are curfews in place for SLO? Paso Robles? Pismo Beach?
In the city of San Luis Obispo, children under age 18 need to be inside by 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, minors can stay out until 12:01 a.m.
Curfew hours in SLO end at 5 a.m. daily.
A curfew for minors is in place in Atascadero from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day.
In Arroyo Grande and Pismo Beach, kids 17 and younger are not allowed to be in public from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. daily.
Paso Robles prohibits children in public places from 11 p.m. to 6 p.m. most days when school is in session.
Curfew starts at 12:01 a.m. on Friday and Saturday during the school year. On legal holidays and school holidays, there is a 24-hour curfew in place.
When Paso Robles public schools are out of the summer, the daily curfew lasts from 12:01 a.m. to 6 a.m.
Morro Bay allows children to be in public spaces until 11 p.m. on Monday through Friday and until 12:01 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The curfew is lifted at 5 a.m. every day.
Minors in Grover Beach are banned from public spaces from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day.
What are exceptions to local curfew rules?
There are some exceptions to local curfew rules for minors, according all SLO County city’s municipal codes.
Children under 18 can break curfew if accompanied by a parent or guardian, or if there’s an emergency.
Children can also stay out past the start of curfew if they are attending school, religious services or recreational activities.
SLO, Atascadero, Morro Bay, Grover Beach and Arroyo Grande have more exceptions to child curfew rules, such as:
- Running errands for a parent or guardian without any detours or stops
- Interstate traveling in a car
- Going to or from work without any detours or stops
- On the sidewalk outside their residence
- Exercising First Amendment rights
- The minor is legally emancipated
- Going to or from a private residence
What are penalties for breaking my city’s curfew?
In San Luis Obispo, anyone can be fined up to $100 and sentenced to 10 hours of community service for breaking child curfew rules. That includes minors and adults.
Penalties increased if you’re caught violating the curfew multiple times.
Although Atascadero and Arroyo Grande don’t specify the penalties for breaking curfew, anyone caught violating the rule can be charged with a misdemeanor.
“Minors shall be dealt with in accordance with juvenile court law and procedure,” the city’s municipal codes say.
Pismo Beach’s Code of Ordinance does not specify whether chldren who violate curfew rules will face fines or other penalties.
If a police office catches a minor breaking curfew in Morro Bay, the officer is allowed to temporarily detain the child and return them to their home.
A first offense results in a warning citation, while a parent or guardian may be held responsible for administrative and transportation costs for a second violation.
Grover Beach’s municipal code says minors who break curfew may receive “an administrative citation and civil penalty in lieu of ... a misdemeanor or an infraction.”
In Paso Robles, children who violate the curfew are taken into custody and placed in San Luis Obispo County Juvenile Services custody.
Parents can face a fine up to $100 and a maximum of 30 days in jail for violating curfew rules.
