Laws in Nepal
How Nepal is classified on 34 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal on request Abortion is available on request, subject to a gestational limit.
- Suicide Laws
- Not a crime
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
- Cryptocurrency
- Banned Cryptocurrency is prohibited.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban Nepal's law restricts smoking in various public places including airports, hotels, and restaurants.
- 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
- Banned Lightweight plastic bags are banned nationwide.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 16–17 The voting age is 16.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
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
- 18+ The age of consent is 18.
- Sex Work
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal in Nepal and criminalized under the Human Trafficking Act.
- Pornography
- Illegal Production and distribution of sexually obscene contents are prohibited by the Criminal Code.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and generally available by mutual consent without fault.
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Recognized Nepal's Supreme Court established a third-gender category for official documents.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Not permitted Same-sex couples cannot adopt.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 20.
Speech & Belief
- Blasphemy Laws
- Criminal offense Nepal's 2017 criminal code criminalizes hurting religious sentiment with up to two years imprisonment.
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Flag Desecration
- Criminal offense Burning or disrespecting the national flag is illegal and punishable by jail or fines.
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban No legal ban on conversion therapy.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Gun Laws
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- School Corporal Punishment
- Banned All corporal punishment, both in school and in the home, has been banned since 2018.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Substances
- Cannabis
- Illegal Cannabis is illegal for all purposes.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Legal Psilocybin possession is legal.
- 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.