Curfew Laws for Minors Vary Across Washington

If you have children who live in Washington, be warned that there are active curfew laws for minors. The rules differ from town to town. We consulted a couple of sources including the Washington State Institute for Public Safety

Another source, Youthrights.org, found that minors and parents could both be subject to penalties, fines, community service, and jail time for violating the curfew ordinances.

WA Towns that only hold parents responsible

Sixteen cities in Washington have parental responsibility ordinances. Only the parent can be found in violation of the ordinance and can be charged and fined.

Those towns are Bellingham, Brewster, Bridgeport, Centralia, Coupeville, Eatonville, Ephrata, Grandview, Long Beach, Omak, Selah, Soap Lake, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Wapato, and Zillah.

WA Towns that only hold the minors responsible

Two cities (Yakima & Camas) have strict curfew ordinances that charge only the minor with a violation.

WA Towns that hold both the Parents and the Minors responsible

Three cities (Oak Harbor, Ridgefield, and SeaTac) have ordinances that charge both the parent and the minor for violating the ordinance separately and have separate penalties for each.

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WA Towns with Detailed Strict Curfew Laws

Bellingham, WA
This applies to individuals under the age of 16
Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am
Friday and Saturday and school vacations from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am

Everett, WA
This applies to individuals under the age of 18
7 days a week - 11:00 pm to 5:00 am

Kent, WA
This applies to individuals under the age of 18
7 days a week from 12:01 am to 6:00 a.m.

Longview, WA
This applies to individuals under the age of 18
There are two curfew periods:

During the school calendar of September 1st to June 15th
Sunday through Thursday 11:00 pm to 6:00 am
Weekends: Friday and Saturday 12:01 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.

During the summer vacation period of June 16th to August 31st:
Everyday 12:01 a.m. – 6:00 a.m.

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Omak, WA

Two different laws are in place for children under the age of 16 and those under the age of 11.

7 days a week from Midnight and 6 am for children under 16, and 7 days a week from 10 pm and 6 am for children under the age of 11.

Soap Lake, WA

This applies to individuals under the age of 18.

Sunday to Thursday 10:30 pm to 5 am and Friday to Saturday Midnight to 5 am

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Yakima, WA
This applies to individuals under the age of 18
Sunday through Thursday 11:30 pm to 5:00 am
Friday and Saturday 12:01 a.m. – 5:00 a.m.

60 Missing Children From Washington. Do You Recognize Anyone?

I remember seeing missing children's images on It's every parent's nightmare. When children go missing from home, school, anywhere, fear sets in. Who took the child or teen? What happened? Please take a look at these missing children images. One of these kids could be your neighbor, friend, or family member. Do you have any information about any of these missing people?

Gallery Credit: Jaime Skelton