Here's how curfew laws are implemented across parts of Arizona

Eshaan Sarup, Arizona Republic
Updated ·4 min read
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Curfew laws exist for minors in some parts of Arizona, meaning that they are not permitted to be in public without supervision after a specified time. Precise curfew time varies by locality, and minors who are 16 and older typically have a slightly later curfew.

Breaking a curfew is considered a misdemeanor in most localities, and both the parent and the child can face punishment. Consequences may include fines, community service, and in some cases, imprisonment.

Each locality has the authority to establish its curfew laws. However, according to the Arizona Bar Foundation, the listed cities have set a curfew where minors under 16 have to be where they live between the times of 10 PM to 5 AM and midnight to 5 AM for minors aged 16-17.

  • Avondale

  • Casa Grande

  • Chandler

  • Cottonwood

  • Gilbert

  • Glendale

  • Goodyear

  • Mesa

  • Peoria

  • Phoenix

  • Queen Creek

  • Scottsdale

  • Sedona

  • Surprise

  • Tempe

  • Tuscon

  • South Tuscon

Why does Arizona have a curfew?

According to the Arizona law firm JacksonWhite Law, curfew laws are in place to ensure the safety of minors and prevent juvenile crime. The rationale behind these laws is that being out late at night can jeopardize the safety of kids, exposing them to potentially dangerous people and situations. The law firm suggests that minors who violate curfew laws are also more likely to engage in criminal behavior.

“Basically, society has said children of a certain age should not be out on the streets. They should be watched by an adult,” explained Mark Wertsching, Juvenile Probation Officer Supervisor at Maricopa County.

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What should parents know?

According to Mesa company The Naegle Law Firm, curfew laws are routinely and strictly enforced in the state of Arizona, and charges have the potential to harm a child's career.

Detective Richard Encinas of the Mesa Police Department warned that juveniles could receive a class three misdemeanor for violating curfew.

“I would tell [parents] to be familiar with the city code violation and the hours the city code is in effect,” said Encinas.

Unfortunately, in some cases, children can be cited with curfew violations without intending to break the law or disobey their parents.

“I’ve had parents upset - well I just sent my child to a store and then a police officer will stop them and they were like, 'well, my kids have my consent,' but even then it’s still against our laws and they have to be with an adult,” explained Wertsching.

“We get calls all the time about curfew citations, and it’s interesting how benign they are most of the time,” said Craig Rosenstein, a criminal defense attorney and founder of the law group AZ Defenders.

Rosenstein mentioned a case in a Phoenix metro suburb where a child with divorced parents was walking between his mom's and dad’s houses at night and was charged with violating curfew.

In Phoenix, curfew violation citations seem to be uncommon. According to Phoenix police officer Brian Bower, the city has issued only 19 citations for juveniles under 16 and 13 citations for juveniles older than 16 years to date. The Maricopa County Juvenile Services recorded only 83 curfew citations in fiscal Year 2022, a notable decrease from 176 in fiscal 2021 and 303 in fiscal 2020.

What’s the worst that can happen if my child is charged?

Every jurisdiction deals with curfew violations differently, but it usually amounts to a misdemeanor.

"The first curfew violation is generally not too bad. No one's getting taken out of their home, generally, for [a] first curfew violation,” said Rosenstein.

Many jurisdictions also offer options that limit the lifelong impact of a curfew violation.

“Cases are usually given to the juvenile defense system, and the benefit of that is that there are mechanisms to seal these records,” explained Rosenstein.

Wertsching explained that Maricopa County has a diversion program to prevent curfew violations from going to court at all. Similar to adults who take a class after getting a speeding ticket, juveniles are made to correct their behavior through less punitive methods.

“There’s a variety of things: it could be community service, it could also be a monetary penalty. And with a young kid, it could be something as simple as writing an essay,” said Wertsching.

No matter how minor the charge, Rosenstein acknowledged that any interaction with the criminal system is a parent's worst nightmare.

“Discharges are clearly not the crime of the century. But anytime your child has interaction with the criminal justice system is cause for concern," said Rosenstein. "And getting them out of that system as quickly as possible is the ideal.”

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Curfew laws: These Arizona cities have them to protect minors