06/30/2025
CITY COUNCIL PASSES NEW DOWNTOWN CURFEW
While we wait for the final publication of the newly changed ordinance, the City of Tulsa Gov has put together some FAQs.
The Tulsa City Council voted 7-1 tonight to amend our curfew ordinance to include Downtown Tulsa on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for those 17 years and younger, beginning at 9 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. the next day. This section of the ordinance will sunset on Oct. 22, 2025. Mayor Nichols will be signing the ordinance for the curfew to be in effect tomorrow evening, June 26, 2025.
Serving as a stop gap measure in the interim to help curb youth violence in Downtown Tulsa, there was much discussion about creating various paths forward to engage youth and create additional opportunities for our Tulsa youth.
Things to know:
🔹 WHAT IF MY CHILD IS ATTENDING A BALLGAME, MOVIE, CONCERT, RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY, OR SPECTATOR EVENT AND IT ENDS AFTER 9 P.M.?
These activities are allowed, but unaccompanied minors will need to leave the Downtown Tulsa area, without any return or stop, as soon as the ballgame, movie, concert, recreational event or spectator event ends.
🔹 WHAT IF MY CHILD IS EMPLOYED IN DOWNTOWN TULSA AND DOESN’T GET OFF WORK UNTIL AFTER 9 P.M.?
This Downtown Curfew does not affect people under 18 who are at work, or who are going directly to and from work, in Downtown Tulsa.
🔹 WHERE IS THE DOWNTOWN CURFEW IN EFFECT?
The Downtown Curfew is in effect for Downtown Tulsa within the Inner Dispersal Loop (IDL), an area bounded by a street network on the east by the east leg of the part of U.S. Highway 75 South/ Interstate Highway 444 (I-44); on the west by U.S. Highway 64 West / Oklahoma State Highway 51 West/ Interstate Highway 244 (I-244); on the north by U.S. Highway 412 East/ I-244; and on the south by the Broken Arrow Expressway, U.S. Highway 64 West/ U.S. Highway 75 South/ Oklahoma State Highway 51 West, part of I-44.
🔹 HOW WILL THE DOWNTOWN CURFEW BE ENFORCED?
If an officer reasonably believes a person is under 18 and observes that person in Downtown Tulsa after curfew hours, the officer is required to first ask the person their age and reason for being in Downtown Tulsa. If the person is under 18, prior to taking any enforcement action, the officer will otherwise try to determine whether the person:
- is with a parent or responsible adult;
- is working or returning to or from work;
- is attending, going to, or returning home from an event such as a ballgame or concert;
- is going to or returning home from an official school, religious or recreational activity supervised by adults; or
- is involved in an emergency
If the officer is unable to determine any of the above information and reasonably believes the person is in violation of the curfew ordinance, the officer may take enforcement action. Generally, officers will first ask the person to leave the Downtown Tulsa area prior to taking enforcement action depending on the circumstances.
🔹 WHO IS CONSIDERED A ‘RESPONSIBLE ADULT?’
“Responsible adult” is defined by the ordinance but generally means an individual who is over 18 years old, who has or who has been charged with the permanent and/or temporary care and/or custody of the juvenile.
More information about the updated ordinance and additional FAQs can be found at www.cityoftulsa.org/publicsafety
