Street rules

Litter, spitting, jaywalking and feeding wildlife: Singapore's street rules

These are the rules a visitor is most likely to break on the street, with the most the law allows for each. A court decides the actual sentence.

Litter and spitting

  • Do not drop, throw or leave behind anything in a public place except in a bin: bottles, cans, food containers, wrappers and leftover food included.
  • Do not spit, or blow your nose, onto the street or any public place.
  • Nothing into drains, canals, rivers, reservoirs or the sea, or onto their banks.
  • A first conviction can bring a fine of up to S$2,000, a second up to S$4,000 and a third up to S$10,000. Anyone 16 or older can also be ordered to do up to 12 hours of unpaid cleaning, a corrective work order. Officers can arrest without a warrant.

Crossing the road

  • Within 50 metres of a pedestrian crossing, you must use it: a zebra crossing, a crossing with lights, an overhead bridge or an underpass. Signs may set a shorter distance.
  • Where there is a red and green man, cross only on the green man.
  • Never climb over, crawl under or slip through a railing along the road or on a divider.
  • Anywhere else, cross by the most direct route and give way to all vehicles.
  • Breaking these rules: up to S$1,000, three months in jail, or both; for a second offence, up to S$2,000, six months, or both.

Feeding wild animals

  • Do not feed any wild animal or bird anywhere, the monkeys in the nature reserves included, without the National Parks Board's written approval.
  • Wildlife here means any animal of a wild species; only domestic dogs and cats, horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry are left out.
  • A fine of up to S$10,000 (raised from 1 July 2026); for a second offence, up to S$20,000, a year in jail, or both.

More rules

MRT rules · Smoking rules · Alcohol rules · Customs and vapes

Sources

Singapore Statutes Online, read 2026-10-05 (current versions as at that day). Singapore legislation is subject to copyright of the Singapore Government and is used here with the permission of the Attorney-General's Chambers; check Singapore Statutes Online for the latest version.