DC Curfew: Hours, Stricter Zones, Defenses, and Penalties

In Washington, DC, the curfew for minors under 17 runs from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on school nights and from 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. on weekends during the school year, with a uniform midnight-to-6:00 a.m. schedule every night in July and August. The rules reach further inside designated enforcement zones, where the age limit rises and groups of nine or more must disperse. Parents and businesses can be penalized alongside the minor, and the Mayor can tighten the hours during a declared emergency.

Curfew Hours

From September through June, anyone under 17 cannot be in a public place or on business premises from 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday until 6:00 a.m. the next day. On Friday and Saturday nights during those months, the curfew runs from 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m.¹

In July and August the schedule is the same every night: 12:01 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. In practical terms, weeknight curfew starts an hour later in summer than during the rest of the year.¹

Two groups of young people are outside the definition of “minor” and are not subject to the curfew at all: minors who have been judicially emancipated, and minors who are married.¹

Where the Rules Are Stricter

The Metropolitan Police Department can designate specific Juvenile Curfew Zones, and the rules inside them are not the same as the citywide rules. The Chief of Police has authority to establish a zone when a large group of youth is gathering and public safety is at risk.²

Two things change inside a designated zone. The age limit rises from under 17 to 18 and under, and any group of nine or more youth in a public place must disperse unless they are doing something that qualifies for an exemption.²

As of 2026, MPD has designated zones in neighborhoods including Navy Yard, Chinatown, the U Street Corridor, Waterfront, Banneker, NoMA, Takoma, Benning Park, RFK, Union Station, Southwest, Northeast, and the Wharf. The list changes based on where police see concentrated activity and safety incidents, so check MPD’s current designations before relying on this snapshot.³

Legal Defenses

DC Code § 2-1543 lists specific defenses that mean no violation has occurred, even if a minor is out during curfew hours.⁴

Being accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Running an errand for a parent or guardian, going directly to and from it.
Working, or traveling directly to or from work.
Attending a school event, religious service, or recreational activity sponsored by a civic organization or DC government, including direct travel to and from it.
Responding to an emergency, including a medical emergency.
Standing on the sidewalk directly in front of the minor’s own home, or in front of a next-door neighbor’s home. The neighbor exception no longer applies if the neighbor has complained to police about the minor’s presence.
Interstate travel by car, train, or bus.
Exercising First Amendment rights, including religious exercise, free speech, and peaceful assembly.

What Happens If a Minor Is Stopped

An officer cannot act on sight. Before issuing a citation or making an arrest, the officer must ask the person’s age and the reason they are out, and must reasonably believe a curfew offense is occurring with no valid defense.⁴

When an officer concludes a minor is in violation, the first step is usually trying to get the youth to go home. If that does not work inside a designated curfew zone, the minor is brought to the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) rather than a jail. DYRS contacts the parents and monitors the youth until a parent or guardian arrives.²

Outside the designated zones, the statute directs officers to the nearest Police District station. If no parent or guardian claims the minor, the youth may be placed in the custody of the Family Services Administration within the Department of Human Services and released at 6:00 a.m. the next morning.⁴

Penalties for Minors, Parents, and Businesses

Three groups can face consequences: the minor, the minor’s parent or guardian, and any business owner or employee who knowingly lets a minor stay on the premises during curfew hours.⁴

A parent or guardian who knowingly permits a violation, or who allows it through insufficient supervision, faces a fine of up to $500 per offense or community service. The “insufficient control” language is significant: a parent does not have to actively encourage the behavior to be held responsible. A minor who violates curfew may be ordered to perform up to 25 hours of community service.²

When the Mayor Tightens the Rules

During a declared public emergency, the Mayor can impose earlier weekend curfew hours and extend the curfew to cover 17-year-olds, who are otherwise outside the standard rules. Emergency orders last 15 calendar days unless rescinded, modified, or extended.⁵

While an emergency order is active, the Chief of Police can also declare juvenile curfew zones where youth under 18 are prohibited from gathering in groups of nine or more as early as 8:00 p.m. These expanded powers have been used in 2025 and 2026. Because the hours and age limits can shift on short notice, check for any active emergency order before assuming the standard schedule applies.⁵

1
D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 2-1542 – Definitions
2
Office of the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice. Juvenile Curfew Enforcement
3
Metropolitan Police Department. Designated Juvenile Curfew Zones
4
D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 2-1543 – Curfew Authority; Defenses; Enforcement and Penalties
5
Mayor of the District of Columbia. Mayor Bowser Reinstates Limited Juvenile Curfew Under New Emergency Order