DUBLIN, Ga. — Halloween is right around the corner, but if your getup involves a mask, you may want to think twice if you're in Dublin.
A post circulating on Twitter is raising questions on which Halloween costumes you can legally wear in the city, and how old is too old to participate in the holiday.
So we set out to verify: Is it illegal for anyone 16 or older to wear masks or any other facial covering on Halloween?
For the answer, we spoke to Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman and looked at the Georgia Code online. This is what we found out.
"Right now we are here shopping for our middle son. We got him a 'Ghostbusters' costume," Fabian Hood said.
Hood is getting his little one ready to scare some ghosts.
"Apollo is going to be Stay Puft, the marshmallow villain from 'Ghostbusters,'" he said.
Hood says Apollo's costume isn't spooky, but he believes that's the reason for the season.
"It is Halloween, and Halloween is suppose to be about scary," Hood said.
People dress up sometimes to give each other a scare, but in Dublin is it illegal for anyone 16 or older to wear masks, sunglasses, or any other facial coverings on Halloween?
"Halloween no, the law says you cannot have anything covering your face day-to-day, Halloween is Halloween. This is part of the celebration, children covering their faces," Dublin Police Chief Tim Chatman said.
Chatman says yes, it is illegal any other time of the year, but on Halloween the department makes an exception.
"With that we have to be very careful, because of pedophiles and all other types of mean people trying to hurt our children," Chatman said.
We also checked with Georgia code 16-11-38, which says a person is guilty of a misdemeanor if they wear a mask, hood, or anything that covers their faces.
The code does not apply to a person wearing a traditional holiday costume on the day of the holiday and in these cases.
So we verified yes, it is illegal to wear anything covering your face, but Dublin Police Officers will make some exceptions on Halloween.
"We are not enforcing the faces covered because of the event," Chatman said.
So before you get some treats, get yourself ready for a scare.
"It is something enjoyable for the kids, they can get to take a day out of the year to be something they are usually not, they get candy and rewards," Hood said.
Chatman says they will have 10 officers on the streets next week Thursday for Halloween. He says parents should always be mindful of where they take their kids to get candy, and you can always attend community events that are family friendly.
The Dublin Police Department is holding their Fall Festival this Thursday at 4 p.m. on South Jefferson Street.
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