Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Grenada, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own. If you break local laws in Grenada, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. It’s very important to know what’s legal and what’s not where you are going.  

Persons violating Grenada laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Grenada are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Please note that a person can be prosecuted for using foul language in the presence of an officer of the law.

There are also some things that might be legal in the country you visit, but still illegal in the United States.  You can be prosecuted in the United States for engaging in sexual conduct with children or for using or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country regardless of the legality of these activities under that country’s laws.  Counterfeit and pirated goods are illegal in the United States and if you purchase them in a foreign country, you may be breaking local law as well. 

Arrest notifications in host country: While some countries will automatically notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate if a U.S. citizen is detained or arrested in that country, others may not.  To ensure that the United States is aware of your circumstances, request that the police and prison officials notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate as soon as you are arrested or detained overseas.

SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES: Grenada experiences tropical storms and hurricanes during the hurricane season, from June through November. Sea surges occasionally flood low lying areas, including parts of downtown St. George’s and Hillsborough on the island of Carriacou. Heavy winds periodically close local beaches to swimming. Grenada is also located in a zone of seismic activity where earthquakes and tsunamis are possible, General information about natural disaster preparedness is available from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Travel from Grenada to Carriacou is possible by sea and by air. Petite Martinique can only be reached by sea. The Osprey ferry service, with two boats, travels every day between the three islands and is reliable with a good safety record. The trip takes about 1 ½ hours in the large boat and 2 hours in the smaller one. SVG Airline flies a small propeller plane (4-6 passengers) to and from Carriacou daily. Small boat owners may offer to take tourists to the other islands. Before accepting, travelers should check to be sure that the boat carries life preservers and a radio. Though now required, many small boats do not carry this equipment.

Grenada has several qualified dive operations. Travelers should check with the Grenada Tourism Authority at 473-444-4279 or their hotels for further information. At present, there is no hyperbaric chamber in Grenada.

It is difficult to cash personal U.S. checks in Grenada. If accepted, they will take approximately six weeks to clear by a local bank. Major credit cards are widely accepted, and ATM facilities are available at all banks. Most hotels and restaurants take U.S. currency; however, change will be in local currency.

Please see our Customs Information.

If you are a woman traveling abroad, please review our travel tips for Women Travelers.

LGBT RIGHTS: Grenadian law criminalizes consensual same-sex sexual activities between men, providing penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment. Prosecutions based on these laws are exceedingly rare, and have not targeted visitors in recent memory. Grenadian society is generally intolerant of same-sex sexual conduct, and many churches condemn it. Members of sexual minorities rarely acknowledge their sexual orientation openly. The Embassy has received no reports of violence linked to real or perceived sexual orientation. For more detailed information about LGBT rights around the world, you may review the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012.  For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Greneda, you may review the State Department’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2013.  For further information on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) travel, please read our LGBT Travel Information page.

Accessibility: While in Grenada, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. Although the law does not mandate access to public buildings or services, building owners increasingly have incorporated disabled access into new construction and renovated premises.

Since public transportation is privately owned, the law does not mandate any special consideration for individuals with disabilities.