Party patrol: These 32 Jersey Shore towns have youth curfews in place

Ryan Forgosh, Asbury Park Press
Updated ·5 min read
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Jersey Shore towns have been struggling to control parties organized by teens on social media, which sometimes draw thousands suddenly, causing irritation for both the police and residents. To counter this, more and more towns have been enacting curfews in an attempt to curb these pop-up parties.

While anger over parties and alleged youthful excess isn't new at the Jersey Shore, these parties have led to a slew of new actions and restrictions in towns up and down the coast. The most common? Youth curfews.

The Asbury Park Press surveyed each of the 47 New Jersey communities with Atlantic coastal access and found that 32 now have youth curfews of some form in place. Several communities — like Toms River, Seaside Heights, Sea Isle City and Ocean City — have enacted new policies or updated existing ones in response to the rise of so-called pop-up parties.

More: Planning a pop-up party? Shore mayors have a plan to stop you

Monmouth County, where the majority of coastal towns do not have a curfew, has the least stringent restrictions on teens at night at the Jersey Shore. In Atlantic County, by contrast, every town has a youth curfew in place.

Here are the curfews in place for people under the age of 18 in New Jersey for the summer of 2023:

Atlantic City

Atlantic City has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Asbury Park

Asbury Park has a curfew of 11 p.m. for minors 14 and above. For minors 13 and under the curfew is 9:30 p.m.

Barnegat Light

Barnegat Light has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Bay Head

Bay Head has a curfew of 8 p.m. for all minors.

Monmouth County is among the most liberal at at the Jersey Shore when it comes to youth curfews.
Monmouth County is among the most liberal at at the Jersey Shore when it comes to youth curfews.

Beach Haven

Beach Haven has a curfew of 12 a.m. for all minors.

Berkeley

Berkeley has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Bradley Beach

Bradley Beach has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors.

Brick

Brick has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Brigantine

Brigantine has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Cape May

Cape May has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors.

Ocean County's Shore towns are among the more restrictive in the state when it comes to youth curfews.
Ocean County's Shore towns are among the more restrictive in the state when it comes to youth curfews.

Cape May Point

Cape May Point has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors.

Egg Harbor

Egg Harbor has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors on Fridays and Saturdays. The curfew is 10 p.m. for the rest of the week.

Galloway

Galloway has a curfew of 9:30 p.m. for all minors.

Harvey Cedars

Harvey Cedars has a curfew of 12 a.m. for all minors.

Lavallette

Lavallette has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Little Egg Harbor

Little Egg Harbor has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Every coastal community in Atlantic County has some kind of youth curfew in place
Every coastal community in Atlantic County has some kind of youth curfew in place

Loch Arbour

Loch Arbour has a curfew of 8 p.m. for all minors.

Long Beach

Long Beach has a curfew of 12 a.m. for all minors.

Longport

Longport has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors.

Lower

Lower has a curfew of 12 a.m. for all minors from May 15 to September 14. The curfew is 11 p.m. for the rest of the year.

Margate City

Margate City has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Neptune

Neptune has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors 14 or above. For minors 13 and under the curfew is 9:30 p.m.

Ocean City

Ocean City has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors.

Sea Bright

Sea Bright has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The curfew is 10 p.m. for the rest of the year.

Sea Isle City

Sea Isle City has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Only some parts of Cape May County currently have youth curfews in place
Only some parts of Cape May County currently have youth curfews in place

Seaside Heights

Seaside Heights has a curfew of 10 p.m. on its boardwalk for all minors, though the beaches close at 8 p.m.

Ship Bottom

Ship Bottom has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors.

Spring Lake

Spring Lake has a curfew of 12 a.m. for all minors.

Stone Harbor

Stone Harbor has a curfew of 12 a.m. for all minors.

Toms River

Toms River has a curfew of 10 p.m. for all minors. This curfew only applies to the portions of Toms River on New Jersey's barrier islands, like Ortley Beach.

More: There's a 10 p.m. curfew for teens in Toms River's beach areas. Why is it needed?

Ventnor City

Ventnor City has a curfew of 11 p.m. for all minors from July 1 to August 31. The curfew is 10 p.m. for the rest of the year.

Wildwood

Wildwood has a curfew of 1 a.m. for all minors.

Wildwood Crest

Wildwood Crest has a curfew of 11 p.m. for minors under 14 from May 16 to September 14. For the rest of the year the curfew is 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 10 p.m. for the rest of the week.

For minors between 14 and 15 the curfew is 12 a.m. from May 16 to September 14. For the rest of the year the curfew is 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 p.m. for the rest of the week.

For minors between 16 and 17 the curfew is 1 a.m. from May 16 to September 14. For the rest of the year the curfew is 12 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 11 p.m. for the rest of the week.

Jersey Shore towns with no curfew

The following towns were reviewed and found to have no existing curfews in place:

  • Allenhurst

  • Avalon

  • Avon by the Sea

  • Belmar

  • Deal

  • Long Branch

  • Manasquan

  • Mantoloking

  • Monmouth Beach

  • North Wildwood

  • Point Pleasent Beach

  • Sea Girt

  • Seaside Park

  • Surf City

  • Upper

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jersey Shore: Towns adopt teen curfews for summer