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Bowser seeks to extend DC's juvenile curfew

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Published  June 17, 2025 3:49pm EDT
Muriel Bowser
FOX 5 DC
Could DC expand its juvenile curfew?

Could DC expand its juvenile curfew?

Mayor Muriel Bowser has proposed expanding juvenile curfew for the District.

The Brief

  • Mayor Bowser is proposing a stricter summer curfew for anyone 17 and under, starting at 11 p.m. nightly, expanding the current policy that only applies to those 16 and under on certain days.

  • The bill would also allow D.C. police to create designated zones where large groups of unsupervised minors can’t gather, similar to existing drug-free zones.

  • Council Chair Phil Mendelson said the proposal missed the submission deadline, delaying an immediate vote, while some council members call for increased youth programming alongside enforcement.

WASHINGTON - D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is looking to expand the juvenile curfew.

What we know:

Bowser announced her intention to submit an emergency bill for council to consider.

The current curfew time for unaccompanied minors is 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and midnight to 6 a.m. Friday through Sunday — and it only applies to kids 16 and under.

Under the new proposal, a curfew would apply to anyone 17 and under, and it would start at 11 p.m. seven days a week for the entire summer.

The second key part of the bill would borrow from the playbook D.C. police used to create temporary drug-free zones under the city’s most recent criminal justice reform legislation.

In short, Police Chief Pamela Smith would have the power to designate zones where large groups of unsupervised minors cannot gather — even earlier than 11 p.m. Neighborhood commissions and business districts could petition to be included.

The mayor’s office was hoping for a vote on the bill as soon as possible.

But Council Chair Phil Mendelson says the emergency legislation was submitted five hours past the deadline last week.

What they're saying:

Council member Brooke Pinto, who chairs the Public Safety and Justice Committee, named Navy Yard, U Street, and the Wharf as areas this could affect.

"I do think it’s important to note that this is a group — it’s not one or two or three young people hanging out enjoying the city. And I also think we have to couple it with increased programming, and that’s something I’ve talked to the mayor and the director of the Department of Rec about," said Pinto. 

Muriel BowserNews