None of the Guatemalan law texts checked on 10 November 2026 uses the word camouflage (camuflaje), but the Army’s constitutive law forbids anyone outside the Army from using its uniforms, ranks, insignia or distinctive marks en cualquier forma (in any form), and separately bans making, selling, importing or distributing fabric identical or similar to Army uniform fabric without written authorization from the Ministry of National Defence. Both rules are punished under Penal Code Article 339 with a fine of Q100 to Q500. What the texts do not say is whether a civilian camo-print shirt or pair of trousers counts as an Army uniform or as Army-like fabric; they set no test, list no patterns and mention no tourists.
In short: An actual Guatemalan Army uniform, or Army ranks or insignia, is exactly what Article 142 names, and it applies to everyone outside the Army. Camo-pattern civilian clothing is not named anywhere, in either direction. Neither the UK nor Canada mentions camouflage in its Guatemala travel advice. For an ambiguous garment the texts give no answer either way; the rules below are what the law prints.
The three articles, word for word in substance
| Law and article | What it prohibits | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Ley Constitutiva del Ejército de Guatemala (Decreto 72-90), Article 142 | Any institution or person not a member of the Guatemalan Army using, in any form, ranks, uniforms, insignia or distinctive marks that belong exclusively to the Army | As set by Penal Code Article 339 |
| Decreto 72-90, Article 143 | Making, selling, importing and distributing any kind of fabric equal or similar to the fabric used for Army uniforms and garments, without written authorization from the Ministerio de la Defensa Nacional | As set by Penal Code Article 339 |
| Código Penal (Decreto 17-73), Article 339, Uso indebido de uniformes e insignias | Publicly and improperly wearing the dress or uniform of an institution you do not belong to, or insignia or decorations you are not authorized to wear | Fine of one hundred to five hundred quetzales |
The Penal Code article, as printed in the copy hosted by Guatemala’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE), begins: “Quien usare pública e indebidamente traje o uniforme de una institución a que no pertenezca”. The copy hosted by the United Nations prints the same article and the same fine.
What each rule reaches, and what it does not say
Article 142 is about the Army’s own ranks, uniforms and insignia, not a colour or print. It covers ranks, uniforms, insignia and distinctive marks that correspond exclusivamente (exclusively) to the Army, and it applies to any person or institution outside the Army. It does not define which patterns are exclusive to the Army or say how anyone would tell.
Article 143 is about fabric as a trade good. Its verbs are manufacture, commercialization, importation and distribution, and it covers fabric iguales o similares (identical or similar) to Army uniform fabric. It does not mention wearing, finished clothing, personal luggage or tourists, and it does not define how similar is too similar. The authority it names is the Ministry of National Defence, which grants the written authorization.
Article 339 is the penalty both refer to. Articles 142 and 143 each name it as the sanction, even though Article 339 is worded around wearing. It applies to public and improper use of any institution’s uniform, not only the Army’s, and sets the Q100-Q500 fine.
How tightly the Army law guards its own uniform shows in Article 148: officers who have retired may wear the regulation uniform only on 30 June, 1 and 15 September and at funerals of military personnel, and need Ministry of Defence permission for any other occasion.
What the travel advisories say
- United Kingdom (FCDO): the Guatemala local laws and customs page (marked still current on 10 November 2026) and the safety and security page, both read that day, say nothing about camouflage or military-style clothing. The safety page tells travellers: “Always co-operate with military and police officers and be prepared for checkpoints.”
- Canada: the Guatemala travel advice, last updated 13 October 2026, does not mention camouflage or military clothing. Under dress and behaviour it advises travellers to dress conservatively, and it notes that military and police forces conduct random vehicle searches along all borders. It also lists military installations among the places it is illegal to photograph.
This page does not cover the US State Department’s Guatemala advisory.
The weapons law
The Ley de Armas y Municiones, Decreto 15-2009, regulates arms and ammunition. The text reproduced on the website of Armsa Guatemala, S.A., a company whose site lists firearms and accessories, runs to Article 151 and does not mention camouflage or military clothing. Its only reference to uniforms is the requirement that private security agents be in uniform while on duty. It is a secondary reproduction, not an official gazette copy.
How current these texts are
The law texts quoted here are copies hosted by the UN, the TSE and the OAS, and none of them carries a consolidation date. The OAS copy of Decreto 72-90 marks reforms to other articles but none to Articles 142, 143 or 148. Neither Congress’s decree search nor the legal directory of DIGECAM (digecam.mil.gt) showed a readable consolidated text on 10 November 2026, so a later amendment cannot be ruled out. The Ministry of Defence’s own uniform regulations, which would describe the Army’s patterns, are not among the texts quoted.
For related rules, see photographing police and the military, what to bring on our Guatemala packing list, the Museo Militar in Guatemala City, and another rule travellers ask about, the window-tint law.
Sources
- Congreso de la República, Decreto 72-90, Ley Constitutiva del Ejército de Guatemala, Articles 142, 143 and 148, copy hosted by the OAS, read 10 November 2026.
- Código Penal, Decreto 17-73, Article 339: copy hosted by the TSE and copy hosted by the United Nations, read 10 November 2026.
- Ley de Armas y Municiones, Decreto 15-2009, reproduced by Armsa Guatemala (secondary), read 10 November 2026.
- UK FCDO, Guatemala local laws and customs and safety and security; Government of Canada, Guatemala travel advice; read 10 November 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you wear camo in Guatemala?
None of the Guatemalan law texts checked on 10 November 2026 (the Army law, the Penal Code and the weapons law) uses the word camouflage, or camuflaje in Spanish. The Army’s constitutive law (Decreto 72-90) bars anyone who is not a member of the Army from using its uniforms, ranks, insignia or distinctive marks in any form (Article 142), and bans making, selling, importing or distributing fabric identical or similar to Army uniform fabric without written Defence Ministry authorization (Article 143). Both are punished under Penal Code Article 339, a fine of Q100 to Q500. The texts do not say whether a civilian camo-print garment counts.
What is the fine for wearing a military uniform in Guatemala?
Penal Code Article 339 sets a fine of one hundred to five hundred quetzales for publicly and improperly wearing the dress or uniform of an institution you do not belong to, or insignia or decorations you are not authorized to wear. Articles 142 and 143 of the Army law send their violations to that same article.
Do the UK or Canadian travel advisories mention camouflage?
No. The UK FCDO’s Guatemala local-laws and safety pages and Canada’s Guatemala travel advice, read 10 November 2026, do not mention camouflage or military-style clothing. Canada asks travellers to dress conservatively; the UK says to co-operate with military and police officers and be prepared for checkpoints.
Does the weapons law say anything about military clothing?
The text of the Ley de Armas y Municiones (Decreto 15-2009), as reproduced on the website of Armsa Guatemala, does not mention camouflage or military clothing. Its only reference to uniforms requires private security agents on duty to be in uniform.
Can retired Guatemalan officers wear their uniform?
Only on 30 June, 1 and 15 September and at military funerals, under Article 148 of the Army law; on other occasions they need permission from the Ministry of Defence.
