Halloween curfews are sending kids home as early as 7 p.m. proof the nanny state is alive and well

Kids have a new chaperone this Halloween: the government.Towns around the tristate — including Long Branch, New Jersey, and Warwick, New York — are implementing strict curfews for minors, telling them when they’re allowed to be out enjoying themselves on the spooky holiday.

And some localities are giving kids only until 7 p.m.to fill their trick-or-treat baskets.The ordinances are textbook examples of the “nanny state” in action.

And they’re absolutely ridiculous.In the year 2026, when the biggest challenge facing parents is getting their kids off screens and out into the real world with friends, a prohibition on Halloween fun is the worst policy imaginable.Do teens get into trouble on Halloween? Sure.

But should every kid be punished preemptively and locked down in their houses by the state? Absolutely not.The town of Long Branch, New Jersey, announced on October 16 that kids under 17 looking to trick-or-treat need to abide by an 8 p.m.curfew.

In Warwick, New York, kids need to be home by 9, unless accompanied by a guardian, starting on October 30th and effective through November 1st.Winslow Township, New Jersey, even went as far as to “hereby declare” that trick-or-treat hours will run between noon and 5 p.m., and also announced that kids under 18 need to respect a 8 p.m.curfew “due to concerns about seasonal mischief.”The town supervisor of Newburgh, New York, wrote a letter calling for a 9 p.m.

curfew out of concern for “the safety and welfare of our children along with the protection of private property.”And in South Plainfield, New Jersey, a curfew has been written into law, making it “unlawful for juveniles to be in any public place” effective at 7 p.m.on October 30 and 31.

Families who fail to keep their kids inside could face a fine of up to $1,000, plus possible community service to be performed by both the juvenile and parent if found guilty of a violation.For from keeping kids safe, these lawmakers are teaching them a pa...