Inside: Curfew for 17 Year Old
As your teen gets older, more and more changes are bound to take place. Once they learn to drive, the independence that comes along with that makes it a hard adjustment, for both of you actually. With this newfound freedom, your teen may not necessarily know the rules that come along with it.
One of the biggest discussions amongst parents and teens during this time is the topic of curfews.
They have the ability to be out all night if they really wanted to, so putting some guidelines into place is very important.
Many parents nowadays think back to their childhood and recall a time when they knew to get home when the street lights came on. It was a much simpler time. Now, there are so many different factors that go into play, teens are more likely to go out further than their neighborhood with the help of a car and their friends, they have cell phones, money, and a lot more to do than we did back in the day.
I mean heck, even some McDonalds are open 24 hours. These new aspects create more blurred lines than there used to be, so a curfew is necessary. But this will depend on the relationship you have with yourself and your child, and what you expect from them.
There really isn’t a right or wrong way to go about it. Before we get any further let’s discuss what exactly a curfew is.
What is a curfew for a 17-year-old?
A curfew is essentially a time in which your teen is expected to return home by every night. You may have seen in movies when the daughter goes out to a party and her parents tell her, “be home by your curfew” and then the girl proceeds to stay out later then the agreed upon time and all sorts of antics follow.
In terms of what time a curfew should be for your teen, it is really up to you. Well, and the state that you live in. Typically, the younger you are the earlier your curfew will be. As you get older, one of the perks you get is later curfew times. For 17 year olds, this looks different in each state.
Furthermore, it will actually look different in each county that you live in. But for the sake of this article I wanted to give you a broad idea of what guidelines you can expect from your state. This should help you to decide what is best for your teen going forward.
Keep in mind that this is absolutely something that is up to you. Your teen is getting older and deserves more freedom, but you ultimately can decide what is for their greater good. So, if you think you want them home sooner than what your state recommends, then go for it. This is between you and your teen.
State to State Curfews
I thought I would include a list of the curfews that each state upholds. It should be said that this time can vary slightly depending on what county you live in, but overall it should be very close to the times listed below. If you are curious about what your county’s curfew for 17 year olds is, click here.
Find your state to see what is recommended, and then see if it will work for you and your teen!
Alabama: 11pm – 5am
Alaska: 11pm – 5am
Arizona: 12pm – 5am
Arkansas: 10pm – 5am
California: 11pm – Sunrise
Colorado: 11pm – 5am
Connecticut: 10pm – 5am
Delaware: 11pm – 6am
Florida: 11pm – 5am
Georgia: 11pm – 6pm
Hawaii: 10pm – 4am
Idaho: 12am-5am
Illinois Indiana: 11pm-6am
Iowa: 12am-5am
Kansas: 11:30pm – 5am
Kentucky: 11pm – 6am
Louisiana: 10pm – 5am
Maine: 10pm – 5am
Maryland: 10pm – 6am
Massachusetts: 11pm – 5am
Michigan: 12pm – 6am
Minnesota: 11pm – 6amÂ
Mississippi: 10pm – 5am
Missouri: 10pm – 5am
Montana: 11pm – 6am
Nebraska: 10:30 – 6 am
Nevada: 10pm – 5am
New Hampshire: 9am – U/I
New Jersey: 10pm – 6am
New Mexico: 12am – 5pm
New York: 10pm – Sunrise
North Carolina: 11pm – 6am
North Dakota: 10:30pm to 5am
Ohio: 11pm – 5am
Oklahoma: 11pm – 6am
Oregon: 11pm – 6am
Pennsylvania: 11pm – 6am
Rhode Island: 9pm – End Time
South Carolina: 8pm – 6am
South Dakota: 11:30 – 6am
Tennessee: 11pm – 6am
Texas: 11pm – 6am
Utah: 11pm – 5am
Vermont: Unknown
Virginia: 12:30pm – 5am
Washington: 10pm – 5pm
West Virginia: 11pm – 5am
Wisconsin: 11pm – 5am
Wyoming: 11pm – 6am
How to decide on the right curfew for your 17 year old?
This is a question that should be answered by you and you alone. Well, perhaps have a discussion with your teen about it. After all, in one year’s time, they’ll be able to vote…so maybe they should also get a say. Keep in mind that you can also have different curfews for different days of the week.
For example, on weekdays you can have them home sooner during the school year to help them focus on their studies. During the summer you can be more lenient seeing as they don’t really have anywhere to be bright and early.
Again, as hard as it may feel, this is definitely something that is best decided after you take a step back and see what kind of needs your teen has. The most important part is that you are able to have an open discussion where you hear their concerns and are able to talk them out and come to a conclusion that is suitable for you both.
After all, the most important part of this is to ensure the safety and health of your child.
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I am Natalie, the eldest sister of two teens. I hope to bring not only a fresh outer perspective but an internal one as well when writing here.