The City of Iowa City's adopted curfew ordinance went into effect on Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009.
The ordinance prohibits persons under designated ages from being in any public place between set hours. The ordinance defines "public place" to include stores, parking lots, parks, playgrounds, streets, alleys and sidewalks, as well as areas to which the general public has access, such as common hallways in apartment buildings. This includes juveniles being in vehicles in parking lots of these public locations. The focus of this ordinance is to address the issue of unsupervised juveniles becoming the victim of a crime and/or becoming involved in problems during the overnight hours.
Different ages have different hours. The hours of the curfew are as follows - (ages included)
- 13 or younger - between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- 14 through 15 - between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
- 16 through 17 - between midnight and 5 a.m.
Exceptions to the ordinance include:
- The juvenile is accompanied by a parent or guardian.
- The juvenile is traveling between home and their place of employment. (one hour before or after)
- The juvenile is traveling to or from a religious, school, or political activity. (one hour before or after)
- The juvenile is traveling from one state to another through Iowa City.
- The juvenile is on an emergency errand affecting life or serious injury for a responsible adult.
The fine for the curfew violation is a non-scheduled violation, not to exceed $50. There are no court costs.
Juvenile Curfew Ordinance
Note: This constitutes merely a summary of Iowa City Ordinance 09-4376, adopted December 14, 2009, and effective Dec. 23, 2009, creating Iowa City Ordinance 8-6-2, and does not contain the full ordinance. The complete text is available online or at the Iowa City Clerk's Office. Questions, in writing, can be directed to Eric Goers, City Attorney, at the Iowa City Attorney's Office, 410 E. Washington, Iowa City, IA 52240, or via e-mail at egoers@iowa-city.org.
