Unsupervised minors must be off Uptown streets 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. for another year. The hours, the blocks covered, the exceptions and what parents can be fined.
The nighttime curfew for unsupervised minors in Uptown Columbus will stay in force until Sept. 30, 2027. It was due to end Sept. 30 this year.
Columbus Council extended it on Sept. 29. The vote was unanimous among the seven members present, according to the minutes of the Sept. 29 meeting. Councilors Simi Barnes, Joanne Cogle and Bruce Huff were absent.
The rules
The curfew is in sections 14-14 and 14-15 of the Columbus Code. The text is in the June 16 Council agenda packet.
- Who: anyone under 18 who is not supervised by an adult with the lawful right to be there.
- When: 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., every night of the week.
- Where: the Uptown District, from 8th Street to 14th Street, between 2nd Avenue and Bay Avenue.
- What counts: any public place, street, sidewalk, park, parking garage or other public area in that district.
The curfew does not apply to a minor who is:
- with a parent, legal guardian or another adult who has lawful care of them
- working, or going straight to or from work
- at, or going to or from, a school, civic, religious or other approved organized activity
- a current Columbus State University student housed in Uptown
- at, or going to or from, an activity exercising First Amendment rights
- staying at a hotel or other lodging in the district
What parents can be fined
The ordinance makes it unlawful for a parent or guardian to allow a child to break the curfew. Council set the penalties when it adopted the curfew on June 16, according to the June 16 minutes:
| Offense | Penalty for the parent or guardian |
|---|---|
| First | Written warning |
| Second | Fine of up to $500 |
| Third and each one after | Fine of up to $1,000 |
How it got here
Council adopted the curfew 8-0 on June 16 as a measure for the summer and early fall. The ordinance said police had recorded “a concerning number of calls and arrests” in the district. It cited a police report showing 434 cases resulting in 331 arrests there. It said many incidents happened in the evening and involved large numbers of unsupervised young people.
At the same meeting, Councilor Travis L. Chambers proposed making the curfew citywide. That failed 2-6.
On Sept. 22, an ordinance to remove the end date and make the curfew permanent came up for a first reading. Sgt. Sherman Hayes of the Columbus Police Department told Council the curfew had brought “a significant reduction in juvenile-related incidents involving firearms, fights, property damage, and other criminal activity,” according to the Sept. 22 minutes. The minutes do not give figures.
When the ordinance returned on Sept. 29, City Attorney Clifton Fay reminded Council that the curfew would lapse the next day if the vote was inconclusive. Councilor Toyia Tucker moved to keep an end date but push it to Sept. 30, 2027. That amendment passed, and the amended ordinance was adopted.
The curfew came up again on the public agenda of the Oct. 13 Council meeting.
What it means for you
- If you are under 18, plan to leave Uptown by 9 p.m. unless an adult responsible for you is with you or one of the exceptions above applies.
- If you are a parent, a first violation brings a written warning. Fines start with a second.
- If you work Uptown, being at work or going straight to or from it is an exception.
- If you have a view, the curfew now ends Sept. 30, 2027, unless Council acts again before then. Contact your council member through our who to call at City Hall page.
More on the district is in our Uptown Columbus guide.
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