Nice is under a night-time curfew for minors, introduced by the Mayor, Eric Ciotti, and the Alpes-Maritimes prefect. According to France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, it came into force on the evening of Monday 19 October and runs from 9pm to 6am.
What happened
France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur reports that the measure follows demonstrations and violence in Nice city centre two days before it took effect. The préfet des Alpes-Maritimes is the State’s representative in the department. On Monday 19 October he appeared on the news programme of the local radio station ICI Côte d’Azur and set out the details of the curfew, which began that same evening.
The broadcaster says the prefect took the measures jointly with Eric Ciotti, the maire de Nice (Mayor of Nice). Under the arrangement, two measures apply from that evening until Sunday. According to France 3, the first is a curfew, or couvre-feu, for minors between 9pm and 6am.
The decision came against a national backdrop. France 3 reports that Sébastien Lecornu said on Monday that the disorder was “très localisé sur des centres urbains”, meaning very localised in urban centres. He used the word “bordel”, a blunt French term for a mess. As a result, he said, any curfews would be “localisés” and “partiels”, meaning local and partial. Nice is where the first of these curfews took effect, the broadcaster says.
What it means for you
The measure applies to minors, meaning anyone under 18 in France. If you have children or teenagers in Nice, or teenagers are staying with you, the key facts from the source are:
- Hours: 9pm to 6am, according to France 3.
- Start: the evening of Monday 19 October.
- End: the measures run until Sunday, the broadcaster reports.
- Who decided it: the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes and the Mayor of Nice, acting together.
The source makes clear that this is a local and partial measure rather than a city-wide or national one. The text available from France 3 starts to describe where the curfew applies but does not give the full area. It also does not say what the second of the two measures is, what penalties apply, or whether there are exemptions, for example for minors travelling with a parent, coming home from work or attending an evening activity.
Before letting a teenager go out in the evening this week, check the exact area covered. The official announcement should be published by the Préfecture des Alpes-Maritimes, the State’s administrative office for the department, and by the Ville de Nice, the city council. Both are the authorities behind the measure. If your child attends evening classes, sports training or a part-time job in central Nice, ask the organiser or employer how they are handling the curfew hours.
Visitors and new arrivals should also note that the curfew applies to minors in general. France 3 does not say that it applies only to residents.
What to watch next
According to the broadcaster, the measures last until Sunday. Watch for any announcement from the prefecture or the city on whether they will be extended, adjusted or lifted when that period ends.
Given Sébastien Lecornu’s comments that curfews would be local and partial, other towns may adopt similar measures, but France 3 does not name any. Residents who travel within the Alpes-Maritimes in the evenings with teenagers may want to follow local news for updates.
Source: France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur
Sources
- France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: Ce qu'il faut savoir sur le couvre-feu pour les mineurs mis en place à Nice, accessed 20 October 2026
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