Curfew

A teen Sim getting caught after curfew

For a related concept in The Sims 2, see Sneak Out.

In The Sims 3, a curfew is given to children and teenagers to remind the child and teen Sims that they need to go home. A child's curfew is 10:00 PM and a teen's is 11:00 PM.

Curfew can't be disabled in any legitimate way but an Adult/Elder can be sent to the Community Lot with a Child/Teen which prevents the effects of Curfew so therefore, objects such as Tents can be used as well as other tasks such as fishing.

Teens will be brought home by the police if they stay out past their curfew. If children stay out past their curfew they will not be brought home by the police, but instead will automatically go home, or to the nearest adult family member. This action cannot be canceled. If you have the Generations Expansion Pack and your child/teen has the Rebellious trait, sometimes the police won't come.

For The Sims 3 for Windows and Mac OS X (Does not work in Console Versions)

No Curfew Police is a mod that changes the way the curfew feature works.

When a teenager is out during curfew, it gives the pertaining moodlet until a police officer catches the Sim or the teen goes home. When he is caught, he cannot run away from the officer (unless using the testingcheatsenabled true cheat and deleting the officer, Windows and Mac OS X only) and the Sim gets a negative moodlet and a scolding from an Adult (that is able to be canceled) on the home lot.

To prevent getting caught by the curfew, use the "go here with..." action to have teens and children visit a community lot with an adult family member, and try not to stray to lots where it is more difficult for the adult to follow. This is useful when a Sim is trying to gain collectibles or is fishing away from home. If a Sim is at the graveyard mourning a dead family member, he or she doesn't get the positive moodlet for being out after curfew and won't be rounded up while mourning. As soon as the Sim stops mourning, he or she can be rounded up.

In The Sims 3 for console and Generations, children can violate curfew in the same fashion as teenagers.

Trivia

• In The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories, Teens and Children do not have curfew and there were no time limits for how long a Teen can be on the community lot alone, although Teens can sneak out with other Teens and can get caught by the police (and even their parents when leaving or coming back home without being caught by the police) this is slightly similar to Curfew In The Sims 3 and The Sims 3 for Console, Teens and Children do have Curfew.
  • This might be due to The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories handling time in a different manner to The Sims 3. Since Time pauses on a Home lot whenever a Sim is at a Community lot in The Sims 2 and The Sims Stories; The Sims 3 however, Time passes on all lots. See Time for information on how The Sims 2/The Sims Stories & The Sims 3 and The Sims Medieval handles time.
• Children and Teens (Sims and Vampires) can be Grounded.^{[confirmation needed]}