Local Laws

CRIMINAL PENALTIES: While you are traveling in St. Lucia, you are subject to its laws. Foreign laws and legal systems can be vastly different than in the United States. In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don’t have your passport with you. In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings. In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail. These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.

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.

Persons violating St. Lucian laws, even unknowingly, may be expelled, arrested or imprisoned. Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in St. Lucia are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences and heavy fines.

 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: All Caribbean countries can be affected by hurricanes. The hurricane season normally runs from early June to the end of November, but there have been hurricanes in December in recent years. General information about natural disaster preparedness is available via the Internet from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

There is no U.S. Embassy or Consulate in St. Lucia. The U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown, Barbados is responsible for U.S. Citizens Services on the island of St. Lucia. U.S. citizens are encouraged to carry a copy of their citizenship documents with them at all times so, if questioned by local officials, proof of identity and U.S. citizenship are readily available.

Please see our Customs Information sheet.

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

LGBT RIGHTS:  Consensual same-sex sexual activity is illegal under indecency statues, and some same-sex sexual activity between men is also illegal under anal intercourse laws. Indecency statutes carry a maximum penalty of five years, and a sodomy conviction carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. No legislation protects persons from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. While the indecency statutes and sodomy laws are rarely enforced, there is widespread social discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the deeply conservative society. There are few openly LGBT persons in the country. There are few reported incidents of violence or abuse, but civil society representatives note that LGBT persons are reluctant to report incidents of violence or abuse out of fear of retribution or reprisal due to their sexual orientation.  For more detailed information about LGBT rights in St. Lucia, 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 St. Lucia, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. There is no legal requirement in St. Lucia mandating access to buildings for persons with disabilities.

Access to buildings, pedestrian paths and transportation is extremely difficult for persons with disabilities. Sidewalks (if they exist) are very uneven and will only occasionally have ramps at intersections. Pedestrian crossings are also very infrequent. In general, restaurants, hotels, and residential buildings have stairs at the entrance without wheelchair ramps, except perhaps major hotels and retail areas. Buses and taxis do not have special accommodations for disabled persons.