Teens will be teens, and that means they will start testing the rules and boundaries set by parents and other authority figures. No teen is going to be in by their parent’s curfew each and every time, but staying out extra late can land them in trouble with their parents and police. Parents can hand out their own penalties if a child misses curfew, but we’re going to focus on the penalties a teen could face if police catch them out in violation of Minnesota’s curfew law.
Minnesota Curfew Law
Curfew laws are somewhat unique in that there’s not a “one size fits all” law. Instead, curfew laws differ based on the county. We won’t cover all the different laws, but here are a few examples:
- In Ramsey County, juveniles age 15 and younger must be home by 10 pm every night of the week, and teens age 16-17 must be home by midnight unless accompanied by a parent.
- In Hennepin and Dakota County, juveniles between 12-14 years old need to be home by 10 pm on all nights except for Friday and Saturday, when curfew is extended to 11 pm. For teens between 15-17 years old, curfew is 11 pm from Sunday-Thursday, and it extends to midnight on Friday and Saturday.
- In Anoka County, teens under the age of 15 must be home by 10 pm each night. Teens between 15-17 years old must be home by midnight.
So as you can see, there’s no set definition for curfew laws in Minnesota. If you want to find out the law for your specific city or county, do a simple Google search.
Minnesota Curfew Penalties
Since there’s no set definition for curfew regulations, all the citations may be different. Again, we’ll go over some of the fines based on where you’re caught in violation of curfew.
- Hennepin County gives out a $25 ticket for a person’s first curfew violation, $50 for a second violation, and a third ticket will result in a court date.
- In Ramsey County, curfew violators will be asked to complete a diversion program. If the teen fails to complete the program, it will be handed over to the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office for potential prosecution.
- In Carver County, a curfew violation is punishable by a fine up to $100.
Defense Attorney in Minneapolis
If you or your child has been hit with a curfew violation, it may be worth discussing the ticket with an attorney. There are many reasons why a child can legally be out after curfew, such as in an emergency or they are coming home from work. An attorney knows your teen’s rights and will do their best to earn justice for your child. Contact us for a free consultation.
