Laws in Ecuador
How Ecuador is classified on 28 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal (limited) Abortion is permitted on limited grounds such as a risk to health.
- Euthanasia
- Euthanasia legal Active euthanasia is legal under specific conditions following a 2024 Constitutional Court ruling.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
- Cryptocurrency
- Banking ban / restricted Cryptocurrency is legal to hold but banks are barred from handling it.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban Ecuador has a national law banning smoking in bars, indoor workplaces, public transport, and public places.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Legal No ban on fur farming.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Taxed / charged Plastic bags are legal but carry a mandatory charge or tax.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 16–17 The voting age is 16.
- Compulsory Voting
- Compulsory (enforced) Ecuador enforces compulsory voting, with exemptions for minors and the elderly.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal Same-sex marriage is legally performed and recognized.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal Same-sex sexual activity is legal.
- Age of Consent
- 14–15 The age of consent is 14.
- Sex Work
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated in Ecuador, requiring registration and licensed brothels.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and generally available by mutual consent without fault.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Limited (step-child / single) Joint adoption is not open to same-sex couples; step-child or single-person adoption is.
- Incest Laws
- Legal between adults
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Conversion Therapy
- Banned Ecuador's Penal Code explicitly prohibits conversion therapy, equating it to torture.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Gun Laws
- Licensed / moderate Handguns are permitted for personal protection and sport, but self-defense alone is not the sole basis for shall-issue.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Substances
- Cannabis
- Legal (Medical) Cannabis is legal for medical use only; recreational use remains prohibited.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- E-Cigarettes
- Legal / lightly regulated E-cigarettes are legal, subject to an age limit.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.