Laws in Uruguay
How Uruguay is classified on 30 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.
- Euthanasia
- Euthanasia legal Uruguay legalized active voluntary euthanasia for terminally ill adults in October 2025.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 18 Minimum age to gamble: 18.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Comprehensive ban Smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces, including bars, restaurants, and offices.
- 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
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Compulsory (enforced) Uruguay enforces compulsory voting with fines and civil penalties for non-voters.
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 15.
- Sex Work
- Legal & regulated Sex work is legal and regulated under the 2002 sex work law.
- Divorce
- Legal Divorce is legal and generally available, including unilaterally without fault.
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Limited recognition Uruguay's law recognizes non-binary gender for identification correction, but the option is not yet available in practice.
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Joint adoption legal Same-sex couples can jointly petition to adopt.
- 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.
- Flag Desecration
- Only foreign flags protected Desecration of foreign flags is punished, but there is no restriction on desecrating the Uruguayan national flag.
- Conversion Therapy
- Partial ban The Mental Health Law bans diagnosing sexual orientation as a mental illness, but does not explicitly ban therapy practice.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Fully abolished Fully abolished for all crimes.
- Gun Laws
- Permissive Handguns are shall-issue for personal protection, meaning self-defense is sufficient for acquisition.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Substances
- Cannabis
- Legal Cannabis is legal for recreational use.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Psilocybin Mushrooms
- Decriminalized / tolerated Possession is decriminalized, but sale, transport, and cultivation of psilocybin mushrooms remain illegal.
- E-Cigarettes
- Sales banned E-cigarette sales are prohibited.
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.