curfew

File:Curfew - 17th century - V&A 94-1891.jpg

{{Quote box |quote = Between the evening twilight and the grayness before dawn one can hardly make out the walls of the houses, for there is no lighting in the medieval city as we said. At evening curfew the women cover the

coals in the hearth with ash to reduce the fire hazard. The houses are built with beams of oak and every one is a potential tinderbox waiting to blaze up, so at night the only flames left burning are the candles before the holy images. Why would the streets need to be lit anyway? In the evening the entrances to the dangerous neighborhoods are barred, chains are stretched across the river to prevent a surprise attack from barbarian raiders coming upstream, and the city gates are locked tight. The city is like one big household, with everything well secured.|author=Arsenio Frugoni |width=400px |source= Quoted in Urban Space in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PN8skIYO0p4C&q=%22Between+the+evening+twilight+and+the+grayness+before+dawn+one+can+hardly+make%22&pg=PA12|title=Urban Space in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age|first=Albrecht|last=Classen|date=15 December 2009|publisher=Walter de Gruyter|isbn=978-3-11-022390-3|via=Google Books}} |quoted=1}}

The word "curfew" {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ɜr|.|f|j|uː|}} comes from the Old French phrase "couvre-feu", which means "cover fire". It was later adopted into Middle English as "curfeu", which later became the modern "curfew".{{OED|curfew}} Its original meaning refers to a law by William the Conqueror that all lights and fires should be covered to extinction at the ringing of an eight o'clock bell to prevent the spread of destructive fire within communities in timber buildings.{{Cite encyclopedia|title=Curfew|year=1726|encyclopedia=Bailey's dictionary|url=https://archive.org/details/universaletymolo00bailuoft/page/n235/mode/2up?q=Curfew|page=235|edition=third}} With the same derivation a "curfew" also refers to a device used to cover the embers of a fire at night, allowing it to be re-ignited more easily in the morning.{{Cite web |title=Curfew |url=https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O89972/curfew-unknown/ |access-date=19 February 2024 |website=V&A Explore the Collections}}

{{Further|Curfew bell#History}}

Curfews have been used since the Middle Ages to limit uprisings among subordinate groups, including Anglo-Saxons under William the Conqueror. Prior to the U.S. Civil War, most Southern states placed a curfew on slaves.{{Cite journal|first=Peter C.|last=Baldwin|title="Nocturnal Habits and Dark Wisdom": The American Response to Children in the Streets at Night, 1880–1930|journal=Journal of Social History|volume=35|issue=3|date=Spring 2002|pages=593–611|doi=10.1353/jsh.2002.0002|s2cid=144849322 }}{{Rp|page=603}}

Modern curfews primarily focus on youth as well as during periods of war and other crisis. In the United States, progressive reformers pushed for curfews on youth, successfully securing bans on children's nighttime presence on streets in cities such as Louisville, Kentucky and Lincoln, Nebraska. General curfews were also put into place after crises such as the 1871 Chicago Fire.{{rp|603–605}}

Wartime curfews were also implemented during the First and Second World Wars. A formal curfew introduced by the British board of trade ordered shops and entertainment establishments to extinguish their lights by 10:30 p.m. to save fuel during World War I.{{cite book |last=Doyle |first=Peter |author-link=Peter Doyle (writer) |date=July 2012 |title=First World War Britain: 1914–1919 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing |page=24 |isbn=978-0-7478-1129-9}}

• An order issued by public authorities or military forces requiring everyone or certain people to be indoors at certain times, often at night. It can be imposed to maintain public order (as was the case with the northeast blackout of 2003, the 2005 French riots, the 2010 Chile earthquake, the 2011 Egyptian revolution, and the 2014 Ferguson unrest), or suppress targeted groups. Curfews have long been directed at certain groups in many cities or states, such as Japanese-American university students on the West Coast of the United States during World War II, African-Americans in many towns during the time of Jim Crow laws, or people younger than a certain age (usually within a few years either side of 18) in many towns of the United States since the 1980s. In recent times, curfews have been imposed by many countries during disease epidemics or pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic; see below.
• A rule set for a child or teenager by their parents or legal guardians, requiring them to return home by a specific time, usually in the evening or night. This may apply daily, or vary with the day of the week, e.g., if the minor has to go to school the next day.
• An order by the head of household to a domestic assistant such as an au pair or nanny. The domestic assistant must then return home by a specific time.
• A daily requirement for guests to return to their hostel before a specified time, usually in the evening or night.
• A daily requirement that a person subject to a court order, such as probation or bail conditions, must return to their home before a certain hour and be inside it until a certain hour of the morning.
• In baseball, a time after which a game must end, or play be suspended. For example, in the American League the curfew rule for many years decreed that no inning could begin after 1 am local time (with the exception of international games).
• In aeronautics, night flying restrictions may restrict aircraft operations over a defined period in the nighttime, to limit the disruption of aircraft noise on the sleep of nearby residents. Notable examples are the London airports of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, which operate under the Quota Count system.
• In a few locations in the UK, patrons of licensed premises may not enter after a "curfew" time, also known as "last orders". In Inverclyde, for example, this is currently set at 12:00 am.{{cite web|url=http://www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/greenock/articles/2010/02/26/397551-pub-and-club-curfew-extended|title=Pub and club curfew extended|work=Greenock Telegraph|date=26 February 2010 }}
• In many boarding schools, students are usually ordered by school staff to stay in their dormitories at night.

Image:Curfew in Tel Aviv H ih 039.JPG paratroopers enforce curfew in Tel Aviv after King David Hotel bombing, July 1946. Photographer: Haim Fine, Russian Emmanuel collection, from collections of the National Library of Israel.]]

Image:CurfewPalestine 01.jpg

On 17 August 2011, a nighttime curfew was imposed on children who had run amok in the streets of Victoria after repeating youth offenses.{{Cite news|title=Night curfews in Victoria to drive down crime|work=The Herald Sun|url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/night-curfews-in-victoria-to-drive-down-crime/news-story/e333c0d7a5f3840105b918f99b1e23bb?sv=3874a93b9c6638bf5b905ac8e92b03f7}}

On 2 August 2020, following the surge of COVID-19 cases in Victoria, especially in Melbourne, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews declared a state of disaster across the state and imposed stage 4 lockdown in Metropolitan Melbourne. The new measures included nighttime curfew, which was implemented across Melbourne from 20:00 to 05:00 (AEST). The restrictions came into effect at 18:00 (6 pm) and lasted until 28 September 2020 (5 am).{{cite news| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-53627038|work=BBC News|title=Coronavirus: Victoria declares state of disaster after spike in cases| date=2 August 2020|access-date=3 August 2020}}{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/27/melbourne-covid-curfew-ends-and-restrictions-ease-but-victoria-introduces-huge-new-fines|work=The Guardian|title=Melbourne Covid curfew ends and restrictions ease, but Victoria introduces huge new fines| date=27 September 2020|access-date=29 September 2020}}

On 16 August 2021, following a surge of COVID-19 cases and a drop in compliance in restrictions in Victoria, especially in Melbourne, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews reinstated the curfew in Melbourne, this time from 21:00 to 05:00 (AEST) effective midnight 17 August 2021 until at least 2 September 2021.{{cite news |last1=Graham |first1=Ben |last2=Brown |first2=Natalie |title=Live Breaking News: Melbourne's lockdown extended |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-16/victoria-new-local-covid-cases-melbourne-lockdown/100379330 |access-date=16 August 2021 |publisher=ABC Melbourne |date=16 August 2021 |language=en}}

On 20 August 2021, as COVID-19 cases continued to surge in New South Wales, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian imposed a curfew in the local government areas of Bayside, Blacktown, Burwood, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Liverpool, Parramatta, Strathfield, and parts of Penrith, from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am (AEST) beginning from 23 August.{{cite news|last=Taouk |first=Maryanne|title=Here are the new NSW COVID restrictions including a Sydney curfew, work permits and exercise limits|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-20/nsw-new-covid-restrictions-and-lockdown-explained/100393204 |access-date=20 August 2021 |publisher=ABC Australia|date=20 August 2021 |language=en}}

{{Main|COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium}}

On 17 October 2020, due to surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Belgium, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced a nationwide curfew from midnight to 05:00 am local time. The curfew was imposed on 19 October 2020 and was to last for four weeks.{{cite news| url=https://www.brusselstimes.com/news/belgium-all-news/136138/consultative-committee-stricter-measures-alexander-de-croo-frank-vandenbroucke-lockdown-curfew-bars-restaurants/|work=The Brussels Times|title=Phase 4: Belgium imposes curfew, closes bars, restricts contacts|date=17 October 2020|access-date=20 October 2020}} The government also announced the closure of cafes, bars and restaurants for one month and alcohol sales were banned after 8:00 pm local time.{{cite news| url=https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-belgium-brussels-europe-3c86f3d021b3c855893c058316722dcf|title=Belgium imposes Covid curfew, closes bars and restaurants|work=Associated Press|date=17 October 2020|access-date=20 October 2020}}

{{main|2024 Bangladesh quota reform movement|Non-cooperation movement (2024)}}

On 19 July 2024 Bangladesh government{{cite web | url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/7-hour-curfew-break-dhaka-3-other-districts-3660196 | title=7-hour curfew break in Dhaka, 3 other districts | date=24 July 2024 }} declared a national curfew and announced plans to deploy the army to tackle the country’s worst unrest in a decade.{{cite news |last1=Ellis-Petersen |first1=Hannah |title=National curfew imposed in Bangladesh after student protesters storm prison |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jul/19/bangladesh-imposes-communications-blackout-as-protest-violence-continues |work=The Guardian |date=19 July 2024}}{{cite news |title=Bangladesh unrest: Government imposes curfew as protests continue |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cl4ymjrx10xo |work=www.bbc.com}}{{cite news |last1=Shih |first1=Gerry |title=Bangladesh imposes curfew after dozens killed in anti-government protests |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/19/bangladesh-demonstrations-police-hasina/ |access-date=24 July 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post |date=19 July 2024}} The government announced the imposition of a curfew after days of clashes at protests against government job quotas across the country.{{cite news |title=Bangladesh imposes curfew, deploys army as job quota protests continue |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/19/bangladesh-imposes-curfew-deploys-army-as-job-quota-protests-continue |access-date=24 July 2024 |work=Al Jazeera |issue=19 July 2024 |language=en}}{{cite news |title=Curfew continues in Bangladesh amid crackdown on protesters |url=https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/curfew-continues-in-bangladesh-amid-crackdown-on-protesters/3281832 |access-date=24 July 2024 |work=www.aa.com.tr}}{{cite news |title=Bangladesh Imposes Strict Curfew With 'Shoot-On-Sight' Order Following Deadly Protests |url=https://thediplomat.com/2024/07/bangladesh-imposes-strict-curfew-with-shoot-on-sight-order-following-deadly-protests/ |access-date=24 July 2024 |work=thediplomat.com}}

On 4th August 2024 Bangladesh government declared a curfew again following the deadliest day of the protest with Mass shooting and a violent crackdown on the Non Cooperation Movement.

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in Canada}}

File:Fermeture dépanneur couvre-feu au Québec (Covid-19).jpg store window indicating that the store would close early due to curfew (2021).]]

On 6 January 2021, due to a surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the province of Quebec, a curfew was ordered by the premier of Quebec François Legault. The curfew was adjusted for different areas of the province depending on the number of cases, amongst other criteria. The more populous areas, such as the urban areas of Montréal and Quebec City qualified as "red zones" and were placed under a curfew from 8 pm to 5 am while the less urban areas were either "orange zones" with a curfew from 9:30 pm to 5 am. This curfew was expected to be in effect from 9 January up to and including 8 February 2021.

"Yellow zones" did not have curfew. However, the curfew did not end in February. It ended on May 28, 2021.{{Cite web|url=https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/confinement-in-quebec/|title=Confinement in Québec|website=www.quebec.ca|access-date=7 January 2021|archive-date=7 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207124515/https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/health-issues/a-z/2019-coronavirus/confinement-in-quebec/|url-status=dead}} On December 30, 2021, Quebec reinstated the nightly curfew this time starting at 10:00 pm to 5:00 am.{{cite news |title=Quebec reintroduces 10 p.m. curfew as infection rates skyrocket |url=https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-reintroduces-10-p-m-curfew-as-infection-rates-skyrocket-1.5723269 |access-date=30 December 2021 |agency=CTV News}} Following the reinstatement of the curfew, studies came out doubting its effectiveness in lowering the transmission of COVID-19.{{Cite web|date=5 January 2022 |title=Le couvre-feu n'a aucun effet sur le nombre de cas, estime l'IEDM|url=https://www.journaldequebec.com/2022/01/05/le-couvre-feu-na-aucun-effet-sur-le-nombre-de-cas-estime-liedm|access-date=2022-01-14|website=Le Journal de Montréal|agency=Agence QMI}}

On 28 January 2011, during the Egyptian Revolution and following the collapse of the police system, President Hosni Mubarak declared a country-wide military enforced curfew.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jan/28/egypt-protests-mubarak-army-curfew | location=London | work=The Guardian | first1=Jack | last1=Shenker | first2=Peter | last2=Beaumont | first3=Sam | last3=Jones | title=Egypt protests: Hosni Mubarak orders army to enforce curfew | date=28 January 2011}} However, it was ignored by demonstrators who continued their sit-in in Tahrir Square. Concerned residents formed neighborhood vigilante groups to defend their communities against looters and the newly escaped prisoners.{{cite news| url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/29/egypt-jail-break-700-prisoners-escape_n_815872.html | work=Huffington Post | first=Cara | last=Parks | title=Massive Egyptian Prison Break Frees 700 Inmates | date=29 January 2011}}

On the second anniversary of the revolution, in January 2013, a wave of demonstrations swept the country against President Mohamed Morsi who declared a curfew in Port Said, Ismaïlia, and Suez, three cities where deadly street clashes had occurred. In defiance, the locals took to the streets during the curfew,{{cite web|url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/63539.aspx|title=Suez Canal residents defy President Morsi's curfew|work=ahram.org.eg}} organizing football tournaments and street festivals,{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323375204578269700878491978|title=Egyptians Defy President's Curfew, as Unrest Spreads|author=Matt Bradley|date=29 January 2013|work=WSJ}} prohibiting police and military forces from enforcing the curfew.

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in Fiji}}

On 27 March 2020, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama announced a nationwide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. that would take effect on 30 March. The times have been adjusted forward and backward on several occasions, but as of January 2022, this curfew is still in effect.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fijivillage.com/news/No-lockdown-no-change-to-curfew-and-schools-will-not-close--Koya-45f8xr/|title=No lockdown, no change to curfew – Koya}} The government of Fiji maintains that this curfew will stay in effect for the foreseeable future.{{cite web |publisher=Xinhua |title=Nationwide curfew to remain as Fiji fights COVID-19 |url=http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-12/07/c_139569552.htm}}

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in France}}

On 14 October 2020, following the surge of COVID-19 cases and deaths in France that threatened to overwhelm hospitals, French President Emmanuel Macron declared a national state of public health emergency for the second time and imposed a nighttime curfew in the Île-de-France region that includes Paris, as well as Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Rouen, Saint-Etienne, and Toulouse. The curfew ran from 09:00 pm to 06:00 am local time (CEST) (08:00 pm to 05:00 am CET) and was implemented from 17 October 2020 to last four weeks.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/covid-paris-curfew/2020/10/14/f98070c4-0e46-11eb-b404-8d1e675ec701_story.html|title=Macron announces Paris curfew as coronavirus infections rise in France|author=James McAuley|date=14 October 2020|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=15 October 2020}}

Under the rules, people in those cities could only leave their homes for essential reasons,{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54535358?via=webuproar|title=Coronavirus: France to impose night-time curfew to battle second wave|date=14 October 2020|work=BBC News|access-date=15 October 2020}} and anyone who violated the curfew would face a fine of 135 euros ($158.64) for the first offence. A second offence would bring a far steeper fine of 1,500 euros, or around $1,762.{{cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/10/14/923727094/paris-under-curfew-europe-reacts-as-countries-see-highest-ever-coronavirus-numbe|title=Paris Under Curfew: Europe Reacts As Countries See Highest-Ever Coronavirus Numbers|date=14 October 2020|work=NPR|access-date=15 October 2020}}

On 23 October, the curfew was expanded to 38 departments and French Polynesia. In total, 54 departments and one overseas collectivity were affected by new restrictions, comprising 46 million people, or two-thirds of the French population.{{cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/22/france-extends-curfew-to-46-million-people-amid-rising-covid-19-cases|title=Curfew affecting 46 million people to take effect as France records 1 million COVID-19 cases|date=23 October 2020|work=Euronews|access-date=24 October 2020}}

Under Iceland's Child Protection Act (no. 80/2002 Art. 92),{{cite news|url=https://www.althingi.is/lagas/nuna/2002080.html|title=Barnaverndarlög 2002 nr. 80 10. maí|trans-title=Child Protection Act 2002 no. 80 May 10th|language=is}} minors aged 12 and under may not be outdoors after 20:00 (8:00 pm) unless accompanied by an adult. Minors aged 13 to 16 may not be outdoors after 22:00 (10:00 pm), unless on their way home from a recognized event organized by a school, sports organization or youth club. During the period 1 May to 1 September, children may be outdoors for two hours longer.

Children and teenagers that break curfew are taken to the local police station and police officers tell their parents to come and get them. The age limits are based upon year of birth, not date of birth. If a parent cannot be reached, the child or teenager is taken to a shelter.

Several medieval towns in Ireland had a curfew after the English model. In Galway a curfew bell was rung every night before the town gates were locked.{{Cite web|url=https://www.galwaycitymuseum.ie/medieval-galway/|title=Medieval Galway Exhibition – Galway City Museum Exhibitions|first=Ríona|last=Egan}} In Kilkenny the night watchmen stood guard over the market stalls "from curfew to cockcrow."{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YMSRAAAAIAAJ&q=curfew+medieval++ireland|title=Fairs and Markets of Ireland: A Cultural Geography|first=Dr Patrick J.|last=O'Connor|date=16 March 2003|publisher=Oireacht na Mumhan Books|isbn=978-0-9533896-3-6|via=Google Books}}

During the 1916 Easter Rising, Dublin was under curfew between 7:30 p.m. and 5:30 am.{{Cite journal|url=http://source.southdublinlibraries.ie/handle/10599/9795|title=Poster. Regulations to be observed under martial law (including curfew) in Dublin City and County|first=Bro Allen Collection|last=The Allen Library|date=16 March 1916|website=source.southdublinlibraries.ie}}

During the Irish War of Independence curfews were regularly imposed, including in 1920 in Dublin between midnight and 5 am. Curfew between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. was imposed on Cork City in July 1920 after the shooting of Gerald Smyth; in August it was extended to many parts of Munster.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/index.php/articles/curfews-imposed-across-munster|title=Curfew imposed across Munster amid claims of police and military misconduct | Century Ireland|website=www.rte.ie}}

In 1921 Limerick was under a curfew.{{Cite web|url=https://www.anphoblacht.com/contents/28026|title=The Limerick curfew murders|website=An Phoblacht}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.decadeofcentenaries.com/the-limerick-curfew-murders-1921/|title=The Limerick Curfew Murders 1921|website=Decade Of Centenaries|date=10 January 2020 }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.decadeofcentenaries.com/limerick-curfew-murders/|title=Limerick Curfew Murders|website=Decade Of Centenaries|date=10 January 2020 }} In 1921, Dublin's curfew began at 10 pm, moved to 9 p.m on 4 March.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/centuryireland/index.php/articles/curfew-in-dublin-to-be-extended-by-one-hour-due-to-unrest|title=Curfew in Dublin to be extended by one hour due to unrest | Century Ireland|website=www.rte.ie}}

In the Republic of Ireland, a restriction on movement order may be placed on an offender, which may include a curfew element.{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/bail-and-curfew-for-youth-who-lives-in-covid-19-positive-house-1.4251859|title=Bail and curfew for youth who lives in Covid-19 positive house|first=Michelle|last=O'Keeffe|newspaper=The Irish Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/law_enforcement/restriction_on_movement_orders.html|title=Restriction on movement orders|website=www.citizensinformation.ie}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/justice/criminal_law/criminal_trial/types_of_sentences.html|title=Types of sentences|website=www.citizensinformation.ie}}

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in Italy}}

In Italy a curfew went into effect from October 2020 to limit the spread of COVID-19. Between 22 and 26 October 2020 Lombardy, Campania, Lazio, Sicily, Calabria and Piedmont imposed a curfew between 11.00 pm and 5.00 am, so any movement was prohibited.{{Cite web|url=https://www.altalex.com/documents/news/2020/10/22/coronavirus-coprifuoco-lombardia-campania|title=Coronavirus: coprifuoco in Lombardia, Campania e Lazio|website=Altalex|date=22 October 2020|access-date=24 October 2020}}{{Cite web|url=http://pti.regione.sicilia.it/portal/page/portal/PIR_PORTALE/PIR_IlPresidente/PIR_Archivio/Coronavirus%20nuova%20ordinanza%20di%20Musumeci%20per%20limitare%20il%20cont|title=CORONAVIRUS, NUOVA ORDINANZA DI MUSUMECI PER LIMITARE IL CONTAGIO|access-date=20 November 2020|date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031100532/http://pti.regione.sicilia.it/portal/page/portal/PIR_PORTALE/PIR_IlPresidente/PIR_Archivio/Coronavirus%20nuova%20ordinanza%20di%20Musumeci%20per%20limitare%20il%20cont|archive-date=31 October 2020}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2020/10/25/20A05861/sg| title =Gazzetta Ufficiale|website=www.gazzettaufficiale.it|access-date=25 October 2020|date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030114745/https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2020/10/25/20A05861/sg|archive-date=30 October 2020}}

With the ministerial decree of 3 November 2020,{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2020/11/04/20A06109/sg| title=Gazzetta Ufficiale|website=www.gazzettaufficiale.it|access-date=16 January 2021|date=16 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116092540/https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2020/11/04/20A06109/sg|archive-date=16 January 2021}} corrected with the DPCM of 3 December 2020,{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2020/12/03/20A06767/sg|title=Gazzetta Ufficiale|website=www.gazzettaufficiale.it|access-date=16 January 2021|date=2 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115054354/https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2020/12/03/20A06767/sg|archive-date=15 January 2021}} and 14 January 2021,{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2021/01/15/21A00221/sg| title=Gazzetta Ufficiale|website=www.gazzettaufficiale.it|access-date=15 January 2021|date=15 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116113256/https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2021/01/15/21A00221/sg|archive-date=16 January 2021}} the Italian Regions are grouped into three types of different epidemiological scenarios. A curfew is instituted nationwide from 10 pm to 5 am, shopping centers are ordered to close on weekends, and the use of distance learning for high schools.{{Cite web|url=http://www.governo.it/sites/new.governo.it/files/Dpcm_3_novembre_2020.pdf| title=Coronavirus, il Presidente Conte firma il Dpcm del 3 november 2020|access-date=4 November 2020|date=4 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104114436/http://www.governo.it/sites/new.governo.it/files/Dpcm_3_novembre_2020.pdf|archive-date=4 November 2020}}

There have been many protests and riots against the curfew nationwide since it came into effect. However, the curfew has not been lifted by the government.{{Cite web|url=https://www.euronews.com/2020/10/24/protests-in-italy-as-coronavirus-curfews-come-into-force| title=Protests in Italy as coronavirus curfews come into force|access-date=26 March 2021|date=24 October 2020}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54701042| title=Covid: Protests take place across Italy over anti-virus measures| work=BBC News|access-date=26 March 2021|date=27 October 2020}}

File:Bekanntmachung 1942 curfew Jersey.jpg

During the German occupation of the Channel Islands, curfews were imposed.

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in Morocco}}

On 21 December 2020, the government of Morocco first announced a nationwide nighttime curfew as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to come into effect on 23 December.{{Cite web|title=Morocco begins night curfew to curb the spread of Covid-19|url=http://www.africanews.com/amp/2020/12/24/morocco-begins-night-curfew-to-curb-the-spread-of-covid-19/|url-status=live|access-date=2021-08-29|website=Africanews|date=24 December 2020 |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224122200/https://www.africanews.com/amp/2020/12/24/morocco-begins-night-curfew-to-curb-the-spread-of-covid-19/ |archive-date=24 December 2020 }} Initially implemented for a three-week period from 9:00 pm–6:00 am, it was extended throughout 2021 alongside the state of health emergency, with hours altered during Ramadan (8:00 pm–6:00 am),{{Cite web|title=Morocco: Authorities impose 20:00-06:00 curfew during Ramadan April 13-May 13 due to COVID-19 activity /update 59|url=https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/465251/morocco-authorities-impose-2000-0600-curfew-during-ramadan-april-13-may-13-due-to-covid-19-activity-update-59|access-date=2021-08-29|website=GardaWorld|language=en}} and from May to early August (11:00 pm–4:30 am).{{Cite web|title=Morocco: Authorities ease COVID-19 measures, including shortening nightly curfew, as of May 22 /update 63|url=https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/482051/morocco-authorities-ease-covid-19-measures-including-shortening-nightly-curfew-as-of-may-22-update-63|access-date=2021-08-29|website=GardaWorld|language=en}} The curfew was lifted on 10 November 2021.{{Cite web|last=Kasraoui|first=Safaa|date=2021-11-09|title=Morocco To Lift Night Curfew Tomorrow|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/11/345435/morocco-to-lift-night-curfew-tomorrow|url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-11|website=Morocco World News|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211109173047/https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2021/11/345435/morocco-to-lift-night-curfew-tomorrow |archive-date=9 November 2021 }}

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands|2021 Dutch curfew riots}}

File:Samenscholingen.jpg, announcing a curfew between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.]]

In the Netherlands, a curfew from 9:00 pm to 4:30 am local time went into effect on 23 January 2021 to limit the spread of COVID-19.{{cite web|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2365653-om-21-00-uur-is-de-avondklok-ingegaan-dit-zijn-de-regels-en-uitzonderingen.html|title=Om 21.00 uur is de avondklok ingegaan, dit zijn de regels en uitzonderingen|publisher=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|date=23 January 2021}} Across the first two nights, 5,765 people were given the 95 euro fine for disobeying the curfew.{{cite web|url=https://nltimes.nl/2021/01/26/5765-people-fined-breaking-curfew|title=5765 people fined for breaking curfew|date=26 January 2021 |publisher=NL Times}} Nationwide anti-curfew riots occurred from 23 until 26 January, resulting in the arrests of over 575 people. On 8 February, the government announced an extension of the curfew until 2 March.{{cite web|url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2367826-avondklok-verlengd-tot-en-met-2-maart-maar-effect-is-nog-niet-duidelijk.html |title=Avondklok verlengd tot en met 2 maart, maar effect is nog niet duidelijk |publisher=Nederlandse Omroep Stichting|date=8 February 2021}} The curfew was lifted on April 28, 2021{{Cite news|date=27 April 2021|title=Avondklok voor de laatste keer ingegaan|language=nl-NL |url=https://nos.nl/liveblog/2378397-avondklok-voor-de-laatste-keer-ingegaan-zorgen-koopmans-over-volle-parken|access-date=11 June 2022}} and has not been reinstated since then.

In 1565, the Spanish conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi arrived in Cebu to colonize the islands that would later be known as the Philippines. Legazpi constructed a fort and instituted a curfew for those entering it at night, citing concerns that "women prostituted themselves in the camp."{{Cite journal |last=Bonnet |first=François-Xavier |date=2017-05-04 |title=From Oripun to the Yapayuki-San: An Historical Outline of Prostitution in the Philippines |url=https://journals.openedition.org/moussons/3755?lang=en#tocto1n4 |journal=Moussons. Recherche en Sciences Humaines Sur l'Asie du Sud-Est |language=en |issue=29 |pages=41–64 |doi=10.4000/moussons.3755 |issn=1620-3224|doi-access=free }} During the American colonial period in the Philippines at the turn of the 19th century, Manila was under a "Curfew Order" requiring them not to go out of their houses after 7:00 pm, and later the restriction changed to 8:30 pm, then to 10:00 pm, then to 11:00 pm, and finally revoked in 1901.{{Cite book |last=Davis |first=George W. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=q1dFAAAAYAAJ |title=Report on the Military Government of the City of Manila, P.I., from 1898 to 1901 |date=1901 |publisher=Headquarters Division of the Philippines |pages=9 |language=en}}

On September 22, 1972, the day after then President Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law, he issued General Order No. 4, mandating a curfew from midnight to 4:00 a.m., and anyone who violated this curfew would be arrested and taken into custody.{{Cite web |last2= |date=2018-09-21 |title=What If We Told You Today: Curfew Has Been Imposed in All Parts of the PH |url=https://www.esquiremag.ph/politics/opinion/what-is-martial-law-like-curfew-a00203-20180921?s=71hki30koi2p4utrd5ik0b5725 |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=Esquiremag.ph}} In December 1972, Marcos conditionally lifted the curfew,{{Cite news |date=1972-12-04 |title=Marcos Said to Approve Some Easing of Curfew |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/12/04/archives/marcos-said-to-approve-some-easing-of-curfew.html |access-date=2024-12-29 |work=The New York Times}} and in 1977, he announced the complete removal of the curfew as part of efforts to ease restrictions imposed during martial law.{{Cite web |date=2017-08-22 |title=22 August: Suspension of the Writ of Habeas Corpus (1971) and Lifting of Nightly Curfew and Travel Ban (1977) |url=https://liberal.ph/22-august-suspension-writ-habeas-corpus-1971-lifting-nightly-curfew-travel-ban-1977/ |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=Liberal Party of the Philippines |language=en-US}} The primary goal of the curfew was to reduce crime, among other reasons.{{Cite web |date=2011-08-22 |title=Martial Law's Nightly Curfew Was Lifted August 22, 1977 |url=https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/517/today-in-philippine-history-august-22-1977-the-nightly-curfew-imposed-under-the-martial-law-was-lifted |access-date=2024-12-30 |website=The Kahimyang Project |language=en}}

On May 23, 2017, then President Rodrigo Duterte proclaimed martial law in the entire Mindanao island group as a response to the siege of Marawi, and the proclamation involved curfews.{{Cite web |date=2017-05-23 |title=Duterte declares martial law in Mindanao |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2017/05/23/1703088/duterte-declares-martial-law-mindanao |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Philstar.com}}{{Cite web |last=Jennings |first=Ralph |date=2017-12-13 |title=Filipinos Find Gains, No Pain Under Martial Law |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/martial-law-in-philippines-proposed-to-be-renewed/4161691.html |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Voice of America |language=en}} 129 areas in Mindanao had curfews in 2017.{{Cite news |date=2016-05-10 |title=Philippines' Duterte planning curfews on children, alcohol: Aide |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippines-duterte-planning-child-alcohol-curfews-aide |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20190212030654/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/philippines-duterte-planning-child-alcohol-curfews-aide |archive-date=2019-02-12 |access-date=2024-12-31 |work=The Straits Times |language=en}} After winning the 2016 presidential elections and before starting his term, Duterte proposed a nationwide curfew for minors.{{Cite web |last=Ranada |first=Pia |date=2016-05-16 |title=Duterte: Curfew for minors in, late-night karaoke out |url=https://www.rappler.com/philippines/133281-duterte-curfew-minors-karaoke-sessions/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=RAPPLER |language=en-US}}

There have been local ordinances regarding curfew for minors in some cities and municipalities{{Cite web |title=ORDINANCE No. 8046 – City Council of Manila |url=https://citycouncilofmanila.com.ph/city_ordinances/ordinance-no-8046-2/ |access-date=2024-12-31 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Ordinance No. 2491 - Sangguniang Panlungsod, City of Davao |url=https://www.iccwtnispcanarc.org/upload/pdf/9499693765Child%20Welfare%20Code%20.pdf |website=www.iccwtnispcanarc.org}} but no nationwide law. Article 129 of the Presidential Decree 603 in 1974 permits c]ty or municipal councils to implement "curfew hours for children as may be warranted by local conditions."{{Cite web |title=P.D. No. 603 |url=https://lawphil.net/statutes/presdecs/pd1974/pd_603_1974.html |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=lawphil.net}} In 2022, a proposed bill was introduced in the House of Representatives to implement a nationwide curfew.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-07 |title=House bill seeks 10 p.m. national curfew for minors |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/08/07/2200968/house-bill-seeks-10-pm-national-curfew-minors |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Philstar.com}} However, the bill has been pending with the Committee on the Welfare of Children since July 2022.{{Cite web |title=House Bill No. 1016, 19th Congress {{!}} Senate of the Philippines Legislative Reference Bureau |url=https://issuances-library.senate.gov.ph/bills/house-bill-no-1016-19th-congress |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=issuances-library.senate.gov.ph}}

The curfew for minors in the Philippines is a debatable topic. Those in favor argue that curfews will promote the children's safety and welfare, while those against state that curfews infringe on children's right to travel in their vicinity and their parents' right to nurture them.{{Cite web |last=Divina |first=Nilo |author-link=Nilo Divina |date=2023-12-21 |title=Constitutionality of curfew for minors |url=https://tribune.net.ph/2023/12/21/constitutionality-of-curfew-for-minors |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=Daily Tribune |language=en}} In 2017, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled on the constitutionality of some of these local ordinances after a group filed a case. The high court upheld the curfew for minors in Quezon City but did not support the curfews implemented in Manila and Navotas.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several areas of the Philippines enforced curfews, including Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro.{{Cite news |date=2021-03-21 |title=Philippines to expand Covid curbs beyond capital amid surge |url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2087291/philippines-to-expand-covid-curbs-beyond-capital-amid-surge |access-date=2024-12-31 |work=Bangkok Post |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Saavedra |first=John Rey |date=2020-03-15 |title=Cebu imposes curfew, strict travel control |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1096679 |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=www.pna.gov.ph |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Rosauro |first=Ryan D. |date=2021-11-05 |title=Curfew shortened in Cagayan de Oro as virus threat eases |url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1510856/curfew-shortened-in-cagayan-de-oro-as-virus-threat-eases |access-date=2024-12-31 |website=INQUIRER.net |language=en}}

{{see also|Militsiya hour}}

A strict nationwide curfew was imposed in December 1981 following the introduction of Martial law in Poland.

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia}}

In Slovenia, a curfew was implemented in February 1942 in the area occupied by Italy during World War II. More recently, it was imposed in October 2020 during the COVID-19 epidemic to limit the spread of the virus.{{cite news|date=19 October 2020|language=sl|newspaper=Dnevnik|title=Policijska ura prvič po italijanski okupaciji|trans-title=Curfew For the First Time After the Italian Occupation|url=https://www.dnevnik.si/1042941406/slovenija/vlada-uvaja-policijsko-uro-in-omejitev-druzenja-nad-sest-ljudi}} The curfew, which was referred to as the "epidemiological curfew," was enforced from 20 October 2020 to 12 April 2021, from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am local time, for a total of 174 days.{{cite news |url=https://www.zurnal24.si/slovenija/sprehajanje-psov-lahko-stejemo-kot-nujno-opravilo-355279 |title=Sprehajanje psov lahko štejemo kot nujno opravilo |language=sl |trans-title=Walking dogs can be considered an essential task |first=Tadeja |last=Hladner Hvala |date=20 October 2020 |newspaper=Žurnal.si}} The measure was recommended by the government's COVID-19 expert group and enforced under the Infectious Diseases Act. The curfew was criticized by some experts as unnecessary and was challenged for its potential violation of human rights.{{cite news|date=17 June 2021|first1=Primož|first2=Tomaž|first3=Vesna|language=sl|last1=Cirman|last2=Modic|last3=Vuković|newspaper=Necenzurirano.si|title=Skupina Bojane Beović je bila "nepotrebna in neustrezna"|trans-title=Bojana Beović's Group was "Unnecessary and Inadequate"|url=https://necenzurirano.si/clanek/preiskovalne-zgodbe/skupina-bojane-beovic-je-bila-nepotrebna-in-neustrezna-882297}} In April 2023, the Constitutional Court declined to assess the curfew regulations as no longer valid, although a concern has been raised that similar measures may be implemented in the future.{{cite news |url=https://www.tax-fin-lex.si/Home/Novica/26323 |title=O policijski uri med epidemijo ustavno sodišče vsebinsko ne bo presojalo |language=sl |trans-title=The Constitutional Court Will Not Rule on the Substance of the Curfew During the Epidemic |date=17 April 2023 |newspaper=Portal TAX-FIN-LEX}}

In South Korea, a curfew was imposed following the American military occupation and end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. It remained in place throughout the Korean War and decades thereafter until it was lifted on 4 January 1982 under the presidency of Chun Doo-hwan, a few months after the capital Seoul was awarded host of the 1988 Summer Olympics.{{cite news |title=S. Koreans Enjoy Nights Without Curfew|newspaper=The Washington Post|author=Tracy Dahl|date=January 18, 1982|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1982/01/18/s-koreans-enjoy-nights-without-curfew}}{{dead link|date=December 2021}}

{{See also|COVID-19 pandemic in Spain}}

In Spain, a curfew was imposed from 11:00 pm to 6:00 am local time on 25 October 2020 to limit the spread of COVID-19, in addition to some Autonomous Communities starting the curfew at 10:00 pm.{{Cite web|date=25 October 2020|title=Sánchez decreta un nuevo estado de alarma que quiere prolongar hasta el 9 de mayo|url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/politica/20201025/49722000/sanchez-decreta-nuevo-estado-alarma-quiere-prolongar-hasta-9-mayo.html|access-date=25 October 2020|website=La Vanguardia|language=es}}

In Sri Lanka, the Sri Lanka Police are empowered to declare and enforce a Police Curfew in any police area for any particular period to maintain the peace, law and order under the Police Ordinance. Under the emergency regulations of the Public Security Ordinance, the President may declare a curfew over the whole or over any part of the country. Travel is restricted, during a curfew, to authorised persons such as police, armed forces personal and public officers. Civilians may gain a Curfew Pass from a police station to travel during a curfew.

File:Dan Hadani collection (990044355850205171).jpg, 1969]]

During the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, curfews are imposed in all oblasts of Ukraine except Zakarpattia,{{Cite news|date=20 October 2022|title=Чому на Закарпатті немає комендантської години і як область живе без обмежень|url=https://www.bbc.com/ukrainian/news-62580658|website=BBC Ukraine|language=uk}} usually lasting from 12 am to 5 am, although may differ depending on specific oblast.

The United Kingdom's 2003 Anti-Social Behaviour Act created zones that allow police from 9 pm to 6 am to hold and escort home unaccompanied minors under the age of 16, whether badly behaved or not. Although hailed as a success,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wear/5405822.stm|title=BBC NEWS – UK – England – Wear – Late night youth curfew a success|work=bbc.co.uk|date=4 October 2006}} the High Court ruled in one particular case that the law did not give the police a power of arrest, and officers could not force someone to come with them. On appeal the court of appeal held that the act gave police powers to escort minors home only if they are involved in, or at risk from, actual or imminently anticipated bad behaviour.{{cite web|url=http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/media/press/2006/court-judgment-on-governments-anti-yob-anti-child-policy.php|title=Court Judgment on Government's 'Anti-Yob'/ Anti-Child Policy|work=liberty-human-rights.org.uk|access-date=20 March 2011|archive-date=27 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927060611/http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/media/press/2006/court-judgment-on-governments-anti-yob-anti-child-policy.php|url-status=dead}}

In a few towns in the United Kingdom, the curfew bell is still rung as a continuation of the medieval tradition where the bell used to be rung from the parish church to guide travelers safely towards a town or village as darkness fell, or when bad weather made it difficult to follow trackways and for the villagers to extinguish their lights and fires as a safety measure to combat accidental fires. Until 1100 it was against the law to burn any lights after the ringing of the curfew bell. In Morpeth, the curfew is rung each night at 8 pm from Morpeth Clock Tower. In Chertsey, it is rung at 8 pm, from Michaelmas to Lady Day.{{cite web|url=http://stpeterschertsey.org.uk/bells/curfew.htm|title=St. Peter's Shared Church Chertsey|work=stpeterschertsey.org.uk|date=12 March 2015}} A short story concerning the Chertsey curfew, set in 1471, and entitled "Blanche Heriot. A legend of old Chertsey Church" was published by Albert Richard Smith in 1843, and formed a basis for the poem "Curfew Must Not Ring Tonight". At Castleton in the Peak District, the curfew is rung from Michaelmas to Shrove Tuesday.{{cite web|url=http://www.peaklandheritage.org.uk/index.asp?peakkey=31002121|title=peak district local history, customs, wildlife, transport – Peakland Heritage|work=peaklandheritage.org.uk|access-date=15 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227100324/http://www.peaklandheritage.org.uk/index.asp?peakkey=31002121|archive-date=27 December 2008}} At Wallingford in Oxfordshire, the curfew bell continues to be rung at 9 pm rather than 8 pm which is a one-hour extension granted by William the Conqueror as the Lord of the town was a Norman sympathiser. However, none of these curfew bells serves its original function.

During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, the British Army made an attempt to search for illegal items secretly held by Official IRA (OIRA) and the Provisional IRA (IRA) in Falls Road, Belfast, a predominantly Catholic neighbourhood. The operation, which became known as the Falls Curfew, took place from 3 to 5 July 1970, with British troops carrying out searches. As it ended, local youths attacked the soldiers, who responded by deploying riot control tactics; the confrontation quickly developed into a series of gunfights between the British Army and the IRA. After four hours, the Army sealed off the area and imposed a 36-hour curfew, carrying out more searches and recovering 96 weapons before the operation ended. Ultimately, 4 civilians were killed, 78 wounded and 337 arrested. 18 soldiers were also wounded. The curfew was later found to be illegal and no further attempts to impose curfews were made during the Troubles.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/12/24/news/rules-around-post-christmas-curfew-still-being-drafted-2169596/|title=Police to have powers to enforce post-Christmas curfew|first=Claire|last=Simpson|date=24 December 2020|website=The Irish News}}

During the 2020–21 coronavirus pandemic, a curfew was imposed between Christmas 2020 and New Years 2021, 8 p.m. to 6 am, to reduce contagion.{{Cite web|url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2020/12/19/news/post-christmas-lockdown-will-see-curfew-for-a-week-2165316/|title=Post-Christmas lockdown will see 'curfew' for a week|first=Claire|last=Simpson|date=19 December 2020|website=The Irish News}}

Curfew law in the United States is usually a matter of local ordinance (mainly applied by a municipality or county), rather than federal law. However, the Constitution guarantees certain rights, which have been applied to the states through the 14th Amendment. Hence, any curfew law may be overruled and struck down if, for example, it violates 1st, 4th, 5th or 14th Amendment rights.

Nonetheless, curfews are set by state and local governments. They vary by state{{cite web|url=https://411newyork.org/guide/2009/08/14/curfews-in-new-york/|title=Curfews in New York · 411 NY|website=411newyork.org}} and even by county or municipality.

American military curfews are a tool used by commanders at various installations to shape the behavior of soldiers.{{Citation|url=http://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/korea/curfew-put-in-place-for-all-u-s-troops-in-south-korea-1.157192|title=Curfew put in place for all US troops in South Korea|publisher=Stars and Stripes|year=2011|access-date=12 February 2012|archive-date=1 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801143332/https://www.stripes.com/news/pacific/korea/curfew-put-in-place-for-all-u-s-troops-in-south-korea-1.157192}}

Local ordinances and state statutes may make it unlawful for minors below a certain age to be on public streets, unless they are accompanied by a parent or an adult or on lawful and necessary business on behalf of their parents or guardians. For example, a Michigan state law provides that "[n]o minor under the age of 12 years shall loiter, idle or congregate in or on any public street, highway, alley or park between the hours of 10 o'clock p.m. and 6 o'clock a.m., unless the minor is accompanied by a parent or guardian, or some adult delegated by the parent or guardian to accompany the child." MCLA § 722.751; MSA § 28.342(1). Curfew laws in other states and cities typically set forth different curfews for minors of different ages.

The stated purpose of such laws is generally to deter disorderly behavior and crime, while others can include to protect youth from victimization and to strengthen parental responsibility,{{cite web|url=http://ecode360.com/14324463|title=Town of Myersville, MD Curfew|work=ecode360.com}} but their effectiveness is subject to debate. Generally, curfews attempt to address vandalism, shootings, and property crimes, which are believed to happen mostly at night, but are less commonly used to address underage drinking, drunk driving, risky driving,{{Cite journal |last1=Moore |first1=Timothy J. |last2=Morris |first2=Todd |date=2024 |title=Shaping the Habits of Teen Drivers |url=https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/pol.20220403 |journal=American Economic Journal: Economic Policy |language=en |volume=16 |issue=3 |pages=367–393 |doi=10.1257/pol.20220403 |issn=1945-7731}} and teenage pregnancy. Parents can be fined, charged or ordered to take parenting classes for willingly, or through insufficient control or supervision, permitting the child to violate the curfew. Many local curfew laws were enacted in the 1950s and 1960s to attack the "juvenile delinquent" problem of youth gangs. Most curfew exceptions include:

• accompanied by a parent or an adult appointed by the parent;
• going to or coming home from work, school, religious, or recreational activity;
• engaging in a lawful employment activity or;
• involved in an emergency;

Some cities make it illegal for a business owner, operator, or any employee to knowingly allow a minor to remain in the establishment during curfew hours. A business owner, operator, or any employee may be also subject to fines.{{cite web|url=http://www.faribault.org/departments/police/curfews|title=Curfews » City of Faribault, MN|work=faribault.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509034013/http://www.faribault.org/departments/police/curfews|archive-date=9 May 2012}}

A 2011 UC-Berkeley study looked at the 54 larger U.S. cities that enacted youth curfews between 1985 and 2002 and found that arrests of youths affected by curfew restrictions dropped almost 15% in the first year and approximately 10% in following years.{{cite web |url=https://journalistsresource.org/studies/government/criminal-justice/juvenile-curfew-laws-arrests/ |title=Impact of juvenile curfew laws on arrests of youth and adults|date=29 November 2011}} However, not all studies agree with the conclusion that youth curfew laws actually reduce crime, and many studies find no benefit or sometimes even the opposite.{{cite web|url=https://jjie.org/2013/10/14/op-ed-why-dont-youth-curfews-work/ |title=OP-ED: Why Don't Youth Curfews Work?|author= Mike Males |date= 14 October 2013}}{{cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/repealing-juvenile-curfew-laws-could-make-cities-safer/ |title=Repealing juvenile curfew laws could make cities safer|author=Jennifer L. Doleac|date= 29 December 2015}} For example, one 2016 systematic review of 12 studies on the matter found that the effect on crime is close to zero, and can perhaps even backfire somewhat.{{Cite web|url=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/07/31/the-curfew-myth|title=Why Juvenile Curfews Don't Work|first=James Lawler|last=Duggan |date=1 August 2018 |website=The Marshall Project}}

There are also concerns about racial profiling.{{cite web|title=New Orleans curfew data: 93 percent of curfew arrestees are black |work=NOLA.com |date=29 March 2013 |url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/03/new_orleans_curfew_data_93_per.html}} In response to concerns about racial profiling, Montgomery County, Maryland, passed a limited curfew, which would permit police officers to arrest juveniles in situations that appear threatening.{{cite web |url=http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/pdf/curfew.pdf |access-date=20 May 2013 |title=Frequently Asked Questions about the County Executive's Youth Curfew Proposal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130514002127/http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/pdf/curfew.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2013}}

{{Main article|Mall curfew}}

Many malls in the United States have policies that prohibit minors under a specified age from entering the mall after specified times,{{cite web|url=http://997now.cbslocal.com/2012/05/10/upscale-mall-enforces-teen-curfew-dress-code/|title=Upscale Mall Enforces Teen Curfew & Dress Code|work=cbslocal.com|access-date=27 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202231600/http://997now.cbslocal.com/2012/05/10/upscale-mall-enforces-teen-curfew-dress-code/|archive-date=2 December 2013}} unless they are accompanied by a parent or another adult or are working at the mall during curfew times.{{cite web|title=Code of Conduct – NorthPark Center|work=northparkcenter.com|url=http://www.northparkcenter.com/visit/Code-of-Conduct}} Such policies are known as mall curfews. For example, the Mall of America's Youth Supervision Policy, requires all minors visiting Mall after 4 p.m. to be accompanied by someone 21 or older. One adult can chaperone up to four minors. The policy is part of the mall's broader security program, which includes the addition of metal detectors, more patrols and a K-9 unit. Malls that have policies prohibiting unaccompanied minors at any time are known as parental escort policies.{{cite web|title=Parental Escort Policy|work=mallofamerica.com |url=http://www.mallofamerica.com/guests/escorts|access-date=27 November 2013|archive-date=29 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140729010550/http://www.mallofamerica.com/guests/escorts}}

{{references|section|date=July 2023}}

States and municipalities in the United States have occasionally enacted curfews on the population at large, often as a result of severely inclement weather or civil disorder. Some such curfews require all citizens simply to refrain from driving. Others require all citizens to remain inside, with exceptions granted to those in important positions, such as elected officials, law enforcement personnel, first responders, healthcare workers, and the mass media.

However, unlike juvenile curfews, all-ages curfews have always been very limited in terms of both location and duration. That is, they are temporary and restricted to very specific areas, and generally only implemented during states of emergency, then subsequently lifted or allowed to sunset.

In 1992, a curfew was imposed in Los Angeles, California during the Rodney King Riots.

In 2015, the city of Baltimore enacted a curfew on all citizens that lasted for five days and prohibited all citizens from going outdoors from 10 pm to 5 am with the exception of those traveling to or from work and those with medical emergencies. This was in response to the 2015 Baltimore protests.

During the global COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, local curfews were used (typically in combination with daytime lockdown policies) in the attempt to slow down the spread of the virus by limiting nonessential interactions between people from different households. Later in 2020, citywide curfews were enacted in major cities across the country due to protests following the killing of George Floyd in May. Arizona enacted a statewide curfew. Countywide curfews were enacted for Los Angeles County and Alameda County in California. In spring 2021, the city of Miami Beach, Florida enacted a citywide curfew due to public disorder associated with spring break celebrations.

• Curfew bell
• Freedom of assembly
• Shutdown law
• Stranger danger
• Unlawful assembly

People

• Don A. Allen, member of the California State Assembly and of the Los Angeles City Council in the 1940s and 1950s, urged enforcement of curfew laws.

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Wiktionary-inline}}
• {{Commons category-inline}}
• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4699095.stm BBC Report on legal challenge to curfew laws]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150610220818/http://www.lemitonline.org/publications/telemasp/Pdf/volume%201/vol1no6.pdf Juvenile Curfews] TELEMASP Bulletin, Texas Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics Program
• {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Curfew |short=x}}

{{Parenting}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Emergency laws

Category:Political repression

Category:Public law

Category:National security

Category:Ageism

Category:Juvenile law