What time does trick-or-treating start on Halloween 2026? Here are the age limits and safety tips

Halloween is on Saturday the 31st of October 2026 so it gives the kids and families a whole weekend evening to get dressed up and go out for their candy. The question is then, what time should the trick or treating start and what time should the kids be back home? There is no one nationwide timetable so the times will vary according to locality. The information is taken from Oregon Live.

What time does trick-or-treating start on Halloween 2026

For families with younger kids it's often 5.00 p.m. that's the time to start. The earlier you go the more daylight you have to go and visit the neighbours and collect your candy.


The streets are normally the busiest around sunset. A lot of families start off between 5.30 and 6, which makes the early evening the peak time for trick or treating.

Halloween this year falls on a Saturday so some kids may be out a bit later than normal. Daylight Saving Time does end overnight but the clocks won't go back until 2am on Sunday the 1st of November.

There's no fixed end time across the country. In some areas younger kids will finish around 8pm, in others the older kids will be out until 9pm (according to previous polls). Weather and local custom will of course have an effect on how long families are out.

How old is too old to go trick-or-treating

There is no nationwide age limit which makes it illegal for older kids to go trick or treating. There are, however, some localities which have their own rules about the age at which you can go. A 2024 Fairleigh Dickinson University poll found that Americans on the whole think children should stop trick or treating at 13.5.

NY officials are recommending that children under 12 go with an adult. Older kids who are ready to go on their own should plan their route and agree on a time to be back home.

Some communities have more stringent rules. NBC reports that Chesapeake, VA has an ordinance which bans trick-or-treating for anyone over the age of 14 (though nobody has been arrested or charged under it). That's a class A misdemeanor and carries a $250 fine.

Charleston, SC has the age limit at 16. Upper Deerfield Township in NJ, Delmar in DE and Portsmouth, VA all use 12 as their cutoff. In Portsmouth, going trick or treating over the age of 12 is classified as a class 3 misdemeanor (max fine of $500).

Halloween safety tips for children and parents

Neighbourhood watch groups would recommend a few simple precautions prior to going out. Children should have a torch or glow stick, stick to the neighbourhoods they know and treat in the company of friends rather than on their own. Younger children should have an adult with them. Families should stay on the pavement, obey the traffic lights and only approach houses that have a porch or door light on.

NY state officials are urging people to add reflective tape to their costumes, jackets and candy bags so that drivers can see the kids after dark. Trick or treaters are advised to leave their phones at home when they're crossing the street. Parents should check their children's candy before they eat it. While tampering is very rare, it can also be a way of spotting potential allergens.

There have also been attempts to turn Halloween into a two day event with the promotion of the Saturday before October 31st as 'National Trick or Treat Day' and Halloween itself remaining on October 31st.