Curfew in Wisconsin: Hours, Exceptions, and Driving Rules

Wisconsin has no statewide nighttime curfew for minors. Curfew laws in Wisconsin are set locally, so the hours a teenager must be home, the ages covered, and the fine for a violation depend on the city, village, town, or county you are in. A separate state law also restricts newly licensed teen drivers from being on the road overnight, and that one applies everywhere.

Why the Rules Depend on Where You Are

Wisconsin delegates juvenile curfew authority to local governments through Section 66.0107 of the state statutes, which lets cities, villages, and towns pass ordinances that parallel state law. Because there is no single statewide rule, each municipality decides whether to have a curfew at all, when it starts and ends, and which age group it covers.

The practical effect is that a 16-year-old walking home at 10:45 PM can be perfectly legal on one side of a municipal line and in violation on the other. If your teen moves between towns for school, work, or sports, the ordinance that matters is the one for wherever they happen to be when stopped. Check each jurisdiction separately.

Typical Curfew Hours

Most Wisconsin curfew ordinances follow a similar pattern: minors must be off public property during late-night hours, with weekday curfews starting earlier than weekend ones, and the restriction lifting in the early morning. The specifics shift by community.

Milwaukee restricts minors under 17 from being out between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM Sunday through Thursday, and between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM on Friday and Saturday.¹
Janesville sets its curfew for youth under 17 at 11:00 PM Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday, lifting at 5:00 AM.²
Kenosha County covers all minors under 18, requiring them off public property by 10:30 PM Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday, until 6:00 AM.³
Smaller communities sometimes use a lower age cutoff. Park Falls, for example, sets its curfew for those under 16.⁴

Notice the age differences. Milwaukee and Janesville stop at under 17; Kenosha County covers everyone under 18; Park Falls focuses on under 16. The hours themselves also range from 10:00 PM through midnight on the front end and 5:00 or 6:00 AM on the back end.

Common Exceptions

Every ordinance carves out situations where a minor can legally be out after the restricted hour. The exact list varies, but the following show up across Wisconsin communities:

Accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or another adult with custody or control of the minor.²
Traveling directly to or from work.³
Attending or returning from a supervised school, religious, or recreational event. Kenosha County adds a wrinkle: for minors 15 and older returning home between 6:00 AM and midnight, the organization must register the event with the Sheriff’s Department at least two weeks in advance.³
Activity protected by the First Amendment, such as religious worship or peaceful assembly.²
Responding to an emergency.²
Running an errand at the direction of a parent or custodian, under ordinances like Kenosha County’s.³

Officers typically ask before writing a ticket. A work schedule, a text from a parent describing an errand, or proof of a school event often turns a stop into a warning.

What Happens When a Minor Is Stopped

A curfew stop in Wisconsin is not an arrest. Under Park Falls’ ordinance, which reflects the approach used across the state, officers must make every effort to release the child to a parent, guardian, or legal custodian as soon as reasonably possible.⁵ If no parent is available, the officer may release the child to another responsible adult. Runaways can be placed in a home authorized under Wisconsin’s Children’s Code. The minor does not go to jail. Curfew violations are civil forfeitures handled in municipal court, not criminal charges.

Penalties

A citation results in a monetary forfeiture. The amounts vary. Park Falls sets its forfeiture at $25 plus court costs for minors under 16.⁴ Milwaukee’s juvenile forfeiture runs around $94.¹ Repeat violations generally carry higher amounts.

One consequence catches families off guard. If a juvenile does not pay the forfeiture, the municipal court cannot impose jail time, but it can suspend the juvenile’s driver’s license for up to two years.⁶ The suspension is a collection tool, not a direct penalty for breaking curfew. Paying the fine on time avoids it.

Because these are municipal infractions rather than criminal offenses, a curfew citation does not produce a juvenile delinquency adjudication. It does create a municipal court record, and repeated violations can surface if the juvenile later ends up in court on other matters.

Parents Get Cited Too

Wisconsin municipalities routinely hold parents and guardians responsible. Cedar Grove’s ordinance makes it unlawful for any parent, guardian, or person with custody to allow a minor to violate curfew.⁷ Menomonee Falls imposes the same obligation.⁸

The “knowingly permits” language used in these ordinances does not require the parent to have driven the teen anywhere. In Cedar Grove, if a law enforcement officer previously informed the parent of a separate violation within the past 30 days, that prior notice is treated as evidence the parent allowed the current violation.⁷ After the first warning, “I didn’t know” stops working.

Parental fines often exceed the minor’s. In Milwaukee, the adult forfeiture runs approximately $195, compared with $94 for the juvenile.¹

The Statewide Driving Curfew for Teen Drivers

Even if your local municipality has no curfew, Wisconsin imposes a separate nighttime driving restriction through its graduated driver licensing law. Under Wisconsin Statute 343.085, any probationary license holder under 18 is prohibited from driving between midnight and 5:00 AM during the first nine months after getting their license.⁹ The restriction continues until the driver turns 18.

The exceptions are narrow. During restricted hours, a teen can drive alone only when traveling between home, school, and work. For any other destination, the front passenger seat must be occupied by a parent, guardian, or a licensed adult who meets specific age and experience requirements.¹⁰

The two curfews are enforced independently. A 16-year-old who is legally free to be at a friend’s house under the local ordinance can still receive a traffic citation for driving home at 1:00 AM without a qualifying adult in the car. Consequences add up quickly: demerit points double after a first moving violation, the restriction period can be extended, and 12 or more demerit points within 12 months triggers a six-month license suspension.¹¹

1
City of Milwaukee. Police Step Up Curfew Enforcement
2
Janesville, WI. Curfew Ordinance
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Kenosha County. Kenosha County Code 9.50 – Curfew
4
City of Park Falls, WI. City of Park Falls Code 301 – Juveniles
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City of Park Falls, WI. City of Park Falls Code 301 – Juveniles – Section: 301-4 Taking Child Into Custody
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Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 938.17(2) – Civil Law and Ordinance Violations
7
Village of Cedar Grove. Chapter 81 Curfew – Section: 81-3 Parental Responsibility
8
Village of Menomonee Falls. Curfew – Section: Parent or Guardian Responsibility
9
Wisconsin State Legislature. Wisconsin Code 343.085 – Probationary Licenses
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Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Graduated Driver License (GDL) and Teen Driving Requirements FAQs
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Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Probationary Driver License Requirements