SCV Curfew

A recent law has been passed in Santa Clarita that imposes a youth curfew in response to incidents involving teen disturbances within the last year. Local law enforcement has increased their patrol and many teenagers have faced major consequences. Driving curfews are a state-wide law and many families have already been affected by this rule, but the presence of this law has become more visible.

The Santa Clarita Valley Curfew applies to anyone under eighteen years of age and restricts minors from being in public places at night. The curfew begins at 10 pm and ends at 6 am every day of the week, and teenagers out during specific hours can be stopped, questioned, and cited by police. The restricted places include public streets, roads, vacant lots, and places of establishment and amusement. According to the General Code, exceptions to the curfew include traveling home from work, attending school or religious events, or being accompanied by a parent or guardian. 

This law has reportedly been in progress for years, but the passage of the law has come from an increase in complaints about incidents involving teens, such as underage drinking, noise disturbances, and large groups of teen gatherings. There have been repeated reports of fights at the Bouquet Canyon In-N-Out after football games, as well as an altercation this summer in which a video circulated social media showing one teen smashing a bottle over another teen’s head during a post-party gathering at a park late at night. 

Santa Clarita City Manager Ken Striplin stated, “I can tell you that enforcing the curfew ordinance certainly isn’t what the Sheriff’s Department wants to be doing on Friday and Saturday nights, and unfortunately, you know, we’ve gotten to that point…It’s enforced when it becomes an issue.” 

Mixed reactions have been expressed, as minors and their parents have worried that they will be punished for late-night classes and driving home from work. However, Stirplin maintains that these efforts are part of an “ongoing commitment to youth safety and maintaining peace in our neighborhoods”.