Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in Jamaica, you are subject to its laws.  Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different from our own.  Persons violating Jamaican laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned.  Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Jamaica can be severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.  In Jamaica, you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you or if you take pictures of certain buildings.  In Jamaica, driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail.  If you break local laws in Jamaica, your U.S. passport won’t help you avoid arrest or prosecution. 

Airport and dock searches at cruise line ports are thorough, and people attempting to smuggle illegal drugs are often apprehended.  Several U.S. citizens currently incarcerated in Jamaica prisons for drug smuggling say they were arrested for carrying bags that friends or acquaintances asked them to deliver to someone in the United States.  In one case, the U.S. arrestee claimed that she express mailed a package for a local taxi driver who claimed not to have his identification with him.  In another, the U.S. arrestee thought she was carrying canned foods for friends which were in fact illicit drugs.  U.S. citizens should never accept packages/baggage in such circumstances.  Jamaica has no tolerance for violations of its firearms laws, and persons can end up serving years in prison for possession of a firearm.  Bringing ammunition into Jamaica is also illegal and can result in heavy fines and/or imprisonment.  Mace, pepper spray, and knives also are prohibited and may not be brought into Jamaica without specific authorization from the Jamaican Ministry of National Security.

Prison conditions in Jamaica differ greatly from prison conditions in the United States.  Prisoners are provided only the most basic meals and must rely upon personal funds, family, and friends to supplement their diets, provide clothing, and supply personal care items such as toothpaste and shampoo.  Most prisons are very overcrowded.  Prisons do not supply bedding to prisoners.  Packages shipped from the United States to prisoners are subject to Jamaican import taxes and are undeliverable when the recipient lacks the funds to pay the duties.

If you are arrested in Jamaica, its authorities are required to notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest.  If you are concerned the Department of State may not be aware of your situation, perhaps because you are also a Jamaican citizen, you should request the police or prison officials to notify the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate of your arrest.

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: Fresh fruits, vegetables, and uncooked meats are not permitted to be brought in or out of the country and may be confiscated by customs officials.  Pets may not be brought into Jamaica, except for dogs from the United Kingdom that have been vaccinated for rabies and then only after six months quarantine.  It is advisable to contact the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington or one of the Jamaican consulates in the United States for specific information regarding customs requirements. 

Jamaica, like all Caribbean countries, can be affected by hurricanes.  Hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30 each year.  The Jamaican Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management is responsible for emergency management on the island.  General information on hurricane preparedness is also available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency.  Please enroll in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive email messages related to evacuations prior to and after hurricanes. 

We are not aware of any special currency or customs circumstances for this country.

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

LGBT RIGHTS: Jamaican law contains specific prohibitions on certain sexual activities.  These prohibitions have been used to target LGBT individuals.  The law prohibits “acts of gross indecency” (generally interpreted as any kind of physical intimacy) between persons of the same sex, in public or in private, and provides punishment of up to 10 years in prison.  There is also an “antibuggery” law that prohibits consensual same-sex sexual conduct between men.

Negative attitudes towards LGBT issues are widespread in Jamaican popular culture and politics, and many Jamaicans see homosexuality as contrary to their religious beliefs.  Although there is increasing public discourse about LGBT rights, there are continuous reports of serious human rights abuses against LGBT individuals, including assassinations, assault with deadly weapons, “corrective rape” of women accused of being lesbians, arbitrary detention, mob attacks, stabbings, immolations, and harassment of LGBT patients by hospital and prison staff.  Young LGBT individuals bear the brunt of violence based on sexual orientation, creating a climate of fear that prompts many to emigrate.  The gross indecency laws make those who remain vulnerable to extortion from neighbors who threaten to report them to the police as part of blackmailing schemes. 

For more detailed information about LGBT rights in Jamaica, 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 Jamaica, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from in the United States.  Jamaican law does not mandate access to transportation, communication, and public buildings for persons with disabilities, and few buildings have these accommodations. 

In general, popular tourist venues in Jamaica are not equipped to accommodate physically challenged visitors.  While some of the country’s all-inclusive resorts are accessible, most transportation, entertainment, and even medical facility options are not.  You may wish to consult websites and blogs that focus on accessible travel for practical information and first-hand accounts of traveling in Jamaica.