Can you smoke or vape in a restaurant in Peru?
No, if the space has a roof and two or more walls: Ley N.º 32159 declares that a 100% smoke-free environment, and the ban covers both smoking and vaping. The place must post a visible sign saying so, and enforcement is split between the municipality and Minsa.
VerificationVerified against the official sourceSee the sources ↓
- 4sources cited
- 4read at the official source
- 1official institutions
Congress of Peru
Checked 1 Oct 2026Next review 28 Dec 2026
What the law says
Ley N.º 32159, published 2024-11-12, replaced the old Ley N.º 28705 and Ley N.º 29517: any source still citing those two laws as current on this topic is outdated.
Article 6.1 bans smoking or vaping in several kinds of places, including “los espacios públicos cerrados” (enclosed public spaces), and declares them 100% smoke-free environments. Article 6.2 defines what counts as an enclosed public space: any place open to the public that has a roof and two or more walls.
A restaurant, bar or cafe with a roofed dining room closed in on several sides fits that definition directly, even though the law doesn’t name “restaurants” by name in article 6.1’s list — the ban doesn’t depend on what kind of business it is, only on whether the actual space meets article 6.2’s two criteria.
What about vaping?
Article 6.1 expressly bans “fumar o vapear” (smoking or vaping) in the same sentence: there’s no separate, more permissive rule for e-cigarettes or vapes inside an enclosed space.
What about terraces?
Here the law gives no explicit example. What it does give are the two objective criteria in article 6.2: a roof, and two or more walls. A roofed terrace closed in on several sides meets the definition just like an indoor dining room. A genuinely open terrace, with no roof or no enclosing walls, doesn’t fit the definition as written.
The mandatory sign
Article 7 requires that any space that’s 100% smoke-free under this law post a visible sign reading: “ESTÁ PROHIBIDO FUMAR Y VAPEAR EN ESTE ESTABLECIMIENTO.”
Who do I complain to?
Article 17.2 is clear that enforcement over the use and sale of tobacco, nicotine or vape products falls to both the provincial and district municipalities and to Minsa. No infractions-and-penalties article with specific fine amounts was found in the consolidated text, and it wasn’t confirmed whether an implementing regulation is currently in force to spell them out — this page will be updated once that’s confirmed from an official source.
How to file
- Check whether the space counts as "enclosed" under the lawA space with a roof and two or more walls is 100% smoke-free by legal definition (art. 6.2), whether it's an indoor dining room or a roofed terrace closed in on several sides. A genuinely open patio, with no roof or walls, doesn't fit that definition.
- Ask them to enforce the ban on the spotThe place must post a visible sign reading "ESTÁ PROHIBIDO FUMAR Y VAPEAR EN ESTE ESTABLECIMIENTO" in any enclosed space. You can ask staff to enforce the ban right there.
- If the venue doesn't enforce it, complain to the municipality or MinsaArticle 17.2 assigns enforcement over tobacco, nicotine or vape use to both the provincial and district municipalities, and to Minsa. No specific response deadline or single complaint portal for this procedure was confirmed.
What most people believe — and what the law says
You can always smoke on a restaurant's terrace.
It depends on whether that terrace has a roof and two or more walls (art. 6.2): if it does, it's a 100% smoke-free space just like the indoor dining room. The law gives no explicit example about terraces — you have to apply those two objective criteria to the actual space.
The law only bans smoking cigarettes, not vaping.
Article 6.1 expressly bans "fumar o vapear" (smoking or vaping) in the same spaces. The ban covers both equally.
Frequently asked questions
Does a restaurant with an enclosed dining room have to be 100% smoke-free?
Yes. Article 6.1 of Ley N.º 32159 bans smoking or vaping in any enclosed public space, and article 6.2 defines that as any place open to the public with a roof and two or more walls — a restaurant dining room fits that definition directly.
Can I vape if I'm not smoking cigarettes?
Not inside an enclosed space. Article 6.1 expressly bans both smoking and vaping in the same spaces; the law doesn't treat vaping as an exception to the ban.
What sign does the restaurant have to post?
Article 7 requires a visible sign reading "ESTÁ PROHIBIDO FUMAR Y VAPEAR EN ESTE ESTABLECIMIENTO" in any space that's 100% smoke-free under the law.
Who do I complain to if a restaurant doesn't enforce the ban?
Article 17.2 assigns enforcement over tobacco, nicotine or vape use to both the provincial and district municipalities, and to Minsa. This site hasn't yet confirmed a single complaint portal or response deadline for this specific procedure.
The exact law
Ley N.º 32159Artículo 6.1read
Tobacco, nicotine and vape control law — 100% smoke-free environments
«Se prohíbe fumar o vapear en establecimientos dedicados a la salud o a la educación, en las dependencias públicas, en los lugares de trabajo, en los espacios públicos cerrados y en cualquier medio de transporte público, los que son considerados ambientes cien por ciento libres de humo de tabaco.»
↳Artículo 6.2read
Definition of an enclosed public space
«Todo lugar de acceso público que se encuentre cubierto por un techo y que tenga dos o más paredes.»
↳Artículo 7read
Mandatory signage in 100% smoke-free spaces
«Debe colocarse en un lugar visible carteles con la siguiente inscripción: "ESTÁ PROHIBIDO FUMAR Y VAPEAR EN ESTE ESTABLECIMIENTO".»
↳Artículo 17.2read
Enforcement by the municipalities and Minsa
«La fiscalización respecto al uso y la comercialización de productos de tabaco, nicotina o sucedáneos de ambos está a cargo de las municipalidades provinciales y municipalidades distritales, y del Minsa.»
Also searched as: can you smoke in a restaurant in peru · can you vape in a restaurant in peru · ley 32159 restaurants smoking · no smoking sign restaurant peru law · who do I complain to if people smoke in a restaurant
Related
Restaurants, bars and cafés: your rights as a customer in Peru
Service charge, tip, cutlery, card surcharges and receipts: what a restaurant in Peru can and can't charge you.
ConsumerRecargo al consumo: the Peruvian restaurant service charge, explained properly
A «recargo al consumo» appears on your bill — must you pay it, and who gets it?
ConsumerForeign object, wrong order or excessive delay at a restaurant in Peru: what can you claim?
A hair in your food, a switched order, or a wait that never ends: what the law says and what you can demand.
What this page already lets you do
- Name the rule that protects you
- Copy the exact article and send it
- Follow the steps, in order