Things That Get You Fined in Singapore
A fine city, in both senses. Here is the price list.
Eighteen famous Singapore rules, each checked against the statute or the agency that enforces it, including the ones that turn out to be myths. Amounts are legal maximums unless we say otherwise. This is a travel guide, not legal advice.
0/18 · Model tourist
1. Bringing chewing gum into Singapore
Actual lawUp to S$100,000 and/or 2 years' jail (first conviction)
The scary number is real, and it is aimed at importers. Still, leave the gum at home; Customs lists it as a prohibited good.
Regulation of Imports and Exports (Chewing Gum) Regulations, reg. 7 · Source ↗
2. Selling or advertising chewing gum
Actual lawUp to S$2,000
No shop will sell you a pack. The one exception is gum registered as a health product, such as dental or nicotine gum.
Sale of Food (Prohibition of Chewing Gum) Regulations, reg. 2–3 · Source ↗
3. Myth: chewing gum is illegal
Myth / not a lawNone for chewing itself
Chewing is not the crime. Importing and selling are. The one place chewing is banned by name is the MRT (see below).
No such offence; the gum laws cover import and sale only · Source ↗
4. Eating or drinking in MRT stations and trains
Actual lawUp to S$500
Yes, water counts. So does chewing gum, which the regulation names specifically. Finish your kopi before the fare gate.
Rapid Transit Systems Regulations, reg. 14 · Source ↗
5. Myth: there is a fine for durians on the MRT
Myth / not a lawNo fine listed
The famous sign shows a fine for everything except the durian. It's a house rule: staff can turn you and your fruit away.
Signage rule; the regulations' penalty schedule has no durian offence · Source ↗
6. Bringing flammable or dangerous goods onto the MRT
Actual lawUp to S$5,000
The biggest number on the MRT sign. Your conference swag is fine. A jerrycan of petrol is not.
Rapid Transit Systems Regulations, reg. 9 · Source ↗
7. Crossing the road within 50 m of a pedestrian crossing without using it
Actual lawUp to S$1,000 and/or 3 months' jail (first offence)
The crossing is right there. So is the overhead bridge. Fifty metres is the legal definition of 'too lazy'.
In practice: Traffic Police usually settle it with a S$50 composition fine or a warning; the maximum is for court cases.
Road Traffic (Pedestrian Crossings) Rules, r. 3; Road Traffic Act 1961, s. 131 · Source ↗
8. Littering
Actual lawUp to S$2,000 (first conviction); S$4,000 (second); S$10,000 (third onward)
A dropped receipt counts. Courts can also order up to 12 hours of cleaning public areas, which is not a souvenir you want.
In practice: NEA says first offenders are typically offered a S$300 composition fine instead of going to court.
Environmental Public Health Act 1987 · Source ↗
9. Spitting in a public place
Actual lawUp to S$1,000 (first offence); S$2,000 (second)
Streets, buses, anywhere the public goes. The regulation also covers expelling mucus from the nose. Bring tissues.
Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations, reg. 15(3) and 30 · Source ↗
10. Not flushing a public toilet
Actual lawUp to S$1,000 (first offence)
Not a myth. It is written into the regulations: use it, flush it, immediately. Most toilets here now do it for you.
Environmental Public Health (Public Cleansing) Regulations, reg. 16 and 30 · Source ↗
11. Smoking where it is prohibited, including the Orchard Road No Smoking Zone
Actual lawUp to S$1,000
On Orchard Road you may only light up inside a marked Designated Smoking Area. Parks, bus stops and covered walkways are out.
In practice: NEA's standard composition fine for smoking in a prohibited place is S$200; court can go up to S$1,000.
Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act 1992, s. 3 · Source ↗
12. Buying, carrying or using a vape or e-cigarette
Actual lawUp to S$10,000
Fully illegal, even to possess, and the maximum went up five-fold on 1 May 2026. Do not pack it. Do not 'just bring the pod'.
In practice: Actively enforced: HSA says over 2,500 people were caught vaping in the first three months of 2026.
Tobacco and Vaporisers Control Act 1993 · Source ↗
13. Feeding pigeons, monkeys or any other wildlife
Actual lawUp to S$10,000 (first conviction)
That crust for the pigeons is now a five-figure risk: the maximum doubled on 1 July 2026. The otters can feed themselves.
Wildlife Act 1965, s. 5A · Source ↗
14. Drinking alcohol in a public place between 22:30 and 07:00
Actual lawUp to S$1,000 (first offence)
Bars, clubs and restaurants are fine. The riverside steps with a convenience-store beer at 11pm are not.
Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act 2015, s. 12 · Source ↗
15. Connecting to someone else's Wi-Fi without permission
Actual lawUp to S$10,000 and/or 3 years' jail
The law is about unauthorised access to a computer service. Cafe and hotel Wi-Fi you were given is fine. The neighbour's is not.
Computer Misuse Act 1993, s. 6 · Source ↗
16. Flying a drone without a permit near airports, in restricted areas or above 200 ft
Actual lawUp to S$50,000 and/or 2 years' jail (first offence)
That skyline shot over Marina Bay needs homework first. Check the drone map on OneMap before anything leaves the ground.
Air Navigation Act 1966, s. 14; Air Navigation (101 – Unmanned Aircraft Operations) Regulations 2019 · Source ↗
17. Myth: it is illegal to bring durian into your hotel room
Myth / not a lawNo legal fine; your hotel may bill a cleaning fee
No statute bans durian in hotels. Your hotel's own rules do, and the smell will give you away long before housekeeping does.
Hotel house rule, not a law
18. Being naked at home where the public can see you
Actual lawUp to S$2,000 and/or 3 months' jail
Your hotel room is private. Your floor-to-ceiling window facing the next tower is not. Close the curtains.
Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act 1906, s. 27A · Source ↗
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