Louisiana curfew laws for minors are set mostly at the local level: each city and parish decides its own curfew hours, the ages covered, and the penalties, so the rule that applies to your teen depends on where they are. One curfew does apply statewide — a nighttime driving restriction for teens under 17 who hold an intermediate license — and parents can face criminal charges under state law when a minor violates any curfew, local or state.
Why the Rules Differ by City
Louisiana grants cities and parishes broad authority to pass ordinances protecting community welfare, and curfews fall within that power. There is no single statewide set of nighttime curfew hours. Most local ordinances cover minors aged 16 and under, though some extend to 17-year-olds.
The practical consequence: a teen who is within curfew in one municipality can violate curfew by crossing into the next. If your family moves, or your child regularly spends time in a neighboring parish, look up that jurisdiction’s ordinance directly.
Curfew Hours in New Orleans and Baton Rouge
New Orleans sets curfew for teens 16 and under at 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The French Quarter is stricter, with curfew starting at 8:00 p.m. every night. Curfew ends at 5:00 a.m.1City of New Orleans. Youth Matters
Baton Rouge’s municipal code covers anyone under 17. On school nights, the curfew runs from 11:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. On weekends, minors may stay out until 1:00 a.m. Shreveport and other cities have their own ordinances, and some have expanded coverage to 17-year-olds, so check your municipal code for the exact hours that apply to you.
The Statewide Driving Curfew
Separate from any local ordinance, Louisiana bars teens under 17 who hold a Class “E” intermediate license from driving between 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. The exception is if the teen is accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian, a licensed adult at least 21 years old, or a licensed sibling at least 18.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32:407 – Applications of Minors
The stakes on this one are higher than a ticket. To move from an intermediate license to full driving privileges, a teen must show 12 consecutive months with no convictions for moving violations, seat belt violations, or curfew violations of any kind — driving curfew or local municipal curfew. A single curfew conviction inside that window resets the twelve months.2Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 32:407 – Applications of Minors
When a Minor Can Legally Be Out
The wording varies by city, but Louisiana curfew ordinances typically recognize the same categories of legitimate reasons for a minor to be out during curfew hours:
- Accompanied by a parent, legal guardian, or another adult with custody or care of the child.
- Traveling directly to or from a job. Some ordinances require the teen to carry proof, such as a letter from the employer.
- Responding to an emergency, or on an urgent errand directed by a parent.
- Attending or returning from school events, extracurricular activities, or religious services.
- On a legitimate errand a parent has sent them on, even without the parent physically present.
Most Louisiana ordinances also include an exception for First Amendment activity, such as attending protests or religious services, because federal courts have struck down curfew laws that lacked one. If your teen is stopped during curfew hours for what should be a covered activity, documentation makes the exception much easier to prove — a pay stub, a schedule, a note from a parent, a program from the event.
What Happens When Police Pick Up a Minor
Most Louisiana curfew stops are handled informally. Officers generally try to reach a parent or responsible adult and release the minor to them as quickly as possible, without formal court involvement.
In New Orleans specifically, if officers cannot reach a parent, the minor is taken to Covenant House and connected with case management through the Youth Opportunity Center rather than booked into detention. Formal penalties for parents in New Orleans start after a third curfew pickup in the same calendar year, at which point the parent receives a summons to juvenile court.1City of New Orleans. Youth Matters
Penalties for the Minor and the Parent
Local penalty structures vary. St. Mary Parish, for example, gives a first-offense warning with written notice to the parent. A parent’s second conviction for allowing a curfew violation carries a fine of $50 to $500, up to 60 days in jail, or both. On a third conviction, the minimum fine rises to $100 and the minimum jail time to 10 days.3eCode360. St. Mary Parish Code of Ordinances – Daytime Curfew
Two separate state statutes let prosecutors go further against a parent or other adult. Under the improper supervision statute, a parent who knowingly or through criminal negligence permits a minor to violate a local curfew ordinance faces a fine of up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both. As a minimum condition of probation, the court must require the parent to complete 40 hours of community service, or a combination of community service and attendance at a court-approved family counseling program with the minor.4Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Code RS 14:92.2 – Improper Supervision of a Minor by Parent or Legal Custodian
The broader statute is contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. It reaches any adult over 17 who intentionally permits a child under 17 to violate any state law or local ordinance, curfews included. The penalty is a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both.5Justia Law. Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 14 RS 14:92 – Contributing to the Delinquency of Juveniles The improper supervision charge targets parents specifically and comes with mandatory community service; the contributing charge reaches any adult and carries a longer maximum jail sentence.
Daytime Curfews During School Hours
Several parishes also enforce daytime curfews aimed at truancy. In St. Mary Parish, children between 6 and 16 cannot be anywhere other than school between 8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on school days.3eCode360. St. Mary Parish Code of Ordinances – Daytime Curfew Exceptions typically cover children who are suspended or expelled, those with written permission from school authorities, and those accompanied by a parent or guardian. Parent penalties for daytime violations follow the same escalating structure as nighttime ones.
Effect on a Juvenile Record
A curfew violation resolved with a warning or an informal release to a parent is unlikely to create a lasting record. If repeated violations lead to a formal adjudication of delinquency in juvenile court, that adjudication can follow a young person until steps are taken to seal it.
Louisiana law allows expungement and sealing of juvenile records. Once a court orders records sealed, they are treated as if they never existed: the person is not required to disclose the arrest or adjudication, and cannot be found guilty of perjury for failing to mention it. A narrow exception exists if the juvenile is later called to testify as a witness in a criminal or delinquency proceeding.6Louisiana State Legislature. Louisiana Children’s Code Art. 922 – Expungement and Sealing Order Effect