“Make sure you’re home by curfew.” These words tend to echo in the average teenagers mind as they count down the days until their eighteenth birthday, where at least the city curfew laws no longer apply.  That is, unless of course your birthday isn’t until summer, and then you spend all of your senior year dreading the infamous curfew ticket.

It’s not so much that we don’t understand the logic behind curfew laws, and although they may curb teenage delinquency, they tend to be inconvenient for those who aren’t planning mass rebellion. For one, many students have jobs are participate in after school activities that last past ten, which is Joliet’s current curfew during the week day. If one is caught past curfew, the fines range anywhere from $100-500.

  However, the curfew laws of Shorewood and Joliet differ. In Joliet, people who are older than 16, but haven’t reached 18 yet, are to be at their home between 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. the following day during the week, and need to be home from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. on the weekend. Shorewood, on the other hand has a different curfew law. On Saturday and Sunday, 16 and 17 year olds have a more extended curfew than the current Joliet curfew. These minors get an additional hour, meaning that the weekend curfew takes effect at 12:01 a.m.  Shorewood tickets are also different; they cannot be less than $50, but no more than $500.

 The hassle, as well as confusion, this can cause is evident.  For example, if one were to drive down Black Road into Joliet past 11:00 p.m. they would be breaking curfew laws, even though minutes beforehand they were in Shorewood.  The costs of the curfew tickets are also incredibly expensive for the “crime.” If someone is driving home past curfew, and not causing any disturbances, why should they have to pay $100?

The Joliet Police Department and the Will County Sheriff website have different curfew laws posted. This serves as confusion and makes these departments seem very unreliable.