Trick-or-Treating Times in Land O' Lakes

There's no hard and fast rule as to when trick-or-treating begins or ends, however a good rule of thumb is to keep it to daylight and give people a chance to get home and settled in before knocking for goodies, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

"We try to encourage people to go out when it's light outside," Hillsborough County Sheriff's office spokeswoman Debbie Carter said.

Pasco County does not designate times for trick-or-treating, Pasco Sheriff's office spokesman Kevin Doll said, however the county does have a curfew if children are not with parents at a specified place such as work, school or church.

The Pasco county ordinance prohibits minors from being out between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. during the week and between 12:01 and 6 a.m. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.

A good rule of thumb is to go out between 6 and 8 p.m., Carter said.

"You've got to get people a chance to get home and finished with dinner," Carter said.

When the sun sets, it's a good idea to start wrapping up. And remember to only knock on someone's door if their outdoor light is on, Carter said.

 Other safety measures include:

• Have an adult accompany children
• Carry a flashlight
• Stop at street corners
• Look left, right and left again before crossing the street
• Never walk between parked cars
• Walk on well-lit sidewalks and paths
• Never cut across yards
• Carefully check treats before letting children eat them

Safety tips provided by St. Joseph's Children's Hospital.