Nighttime curfews are used in Philadelphia to address crime, civil unrest, and emergencies. Curfews are times of the night and early morning when people are required to be indoors, intended to stop nighttime crime and to clear streets. They are enforced differently for minors, adults, and even businesses, leading to conflicts and changes to the city’s nightlife.
History of Curfews in Philly
Curfews have been used in Philadelphia for decades. According to a 2020 Technical.ly article, the city implemented nighttime curfews in 1964 in response to protests during the Civil Rights Movement. Just four years later, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968, Mayor James H. Tate declared a state of emergency in Philadelphia and made it illegal to gather in groups of 12 or more. Curfews were later used during the Black Lives Matter protests and riots in May 2020.
After the murder of George Floyd, massive protests and looting occurred in Philadelphia. Much of it happened after sunset, allowing criminals to escape without being seen. A state of emergency was declared, and curfews were set from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. On May 30, 2020, a spokesperson for Mayor Jim Kenny said, “The City experienced unprecedented levels of vandalism, violence, and looting over the past week. Criminal activity was significant at night … . Curfews were needed to keep people safe at home and protect property throughout the City, and to prevent and discourage further criminal activity.”
Curfew for Minors
This year, Philadelphia has enacted new juvenile curfews to stop gun violence. These curfews only apply to minors. In 2025 and 2026, children 13 and under must be home from 9:30 p.m. to 6 a.m., and teens 14 to 17 must be home from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Recently, the city has tried a different approach. Youth resource centers have been opened in North Philly and Germantown. These centers offer wholesome activities and a community for young people through arts and crafts, music, and video games. If minors are found outside after curfew and are unwilling or unable to go home, they are often taken to the youth resource centers.
In 2022, a 10 p.m. teen curfew for minors was put into place with the same intention as the current one: to decrease crime. A review by Time magazine found, “In July 2022, when the updated curfew was in effect, most violent crimes did not decrease compared to the same month a year earlier, and certain crimes increased drastically. Robberies with a gun went up 72%, other types of robberies increased by 40%, and auto thefts went up 29%.” Minors found outdoors after curfew have been harshly treated. 14-year-old North Philadelphia resident Brian Lemon said that police found him after curfew, and “They grabbed me like I killed somebody, like they saw me with a gun or something.” Lemon has been issued multiple $500 fines for breaking curfews, which he says are unfair and too expensive.
New Curfews for Philly Bars This Spring
New curfew extensions are being put in place this spring and summer for bars and restaurants ahead of upcoming summer celebrations. In July, America will celebrate its 250th birthday, and Philadelphia will be a center for many of the festivities. At the same time, the FIFA World Cup will be hosted in the city in June and July, bringing an estimated 1.5 million tourists in 2026. Until now, local bars have been allowed to stay open until 2:00 a.m. at the latest. To help local businesses, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has signed a new law creating a “America 250” permit that allows Philly bars to stay open until 4:00 a.m. The curfew extension will last from June 11 to July 10, 2026. Teddy Sourias is the owner of Craft Concept Groups, a company that operates several bars in the city. In an interview with Fox 29 Philadelphia, he called the permits “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity … The games go later. We don’t have to kick everybody out, which is going to be the hardest thing to do.”
Governor Shapiro emphasizes that the extended hours encourage safety and economic growth in the city, but most importantly, “More money for our workers and more opportunities for Pennsylvanians to capitalize on having the World Cup right here in Pennsylvania.”
Curfews have been used to deter crime for a long time, but data cast doubt on their effectiveness. After a July 2022 curfew was put in place in Philadelphia, the majority of violent crimes did not decrease when compared to their level from a month earlier. In fact, gun robberies increased by 72%, and car theft increased by 29%. This is true in other American cities. In 2016, a legal nonprofit called the Campbell Collaboration did a nationwide examination of 7,000 curfew studies. It found that curfews caused a slight increase in crime on average. Despite the evidence against curfews, over 400 cities, counties, and towns in America use youth nighttime curfews. While curfews may seem like a straightforward way to deter crime at night, history and statistics show that a different approach is needed in the future.
