Thinking about staying out late tonight? If you’re a teen, think again
School will soon be out in Miami-Dade — and that means freedom.
Sort of.
Miami-Dade police are once again announcing they’ll be enforcing an established juvenile curfew. The curfew makes it illegal for anyone 16 and under to be in a public place in the county between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Police say that they are enforcing the curfew this time of year as students are leaving the rigid school schedule and entering the not-so-rigid summer break.
The police department says there are no assigned officers to make curfew checks. It’ll be up to different stations to enforce the law.
The curfew has been around since 1994, and doesn’t come with any serious legal consequences for those staying out too late. The summer enforcement goes a little easier when it comes to hours, rolling back the original end of curfew hours from 6 a.m. to 4 a.m.
If you are a teen out past curfew and an officer stops you, this is what you can expect to happen.
The officer will ask you your age, why you are out — and then call your parents to make sure you are telling the truth, according to Miami-Dade County. If you don’t have a reason for being out, the cops will take you home, to a police station or another holding facility where you will be given a citation.
Three or more citations mean your parents may have to pay up to $500.
Here are some of the reasons a juvenile can be out past curfew:
- Accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, or by someone 21 years of age or older
- Working, or traveling to or from work
- Has written permission from a parent or guardian to run an errand
- Traveling to or from a school, religious, civic or county-sponsored event
- Is homeless
- Aiding or assisting in an emergency
This story was originally published June 4, 2019 at 1:25 PM.