It usually starts with a bad experience. A lawyer who stopped answering calls, a builder who walked off the job, a landlord who kept the deposit. Someone goes home angry, opens Facebook and writes the whole story in an expat group. Then, in the last line, the words get personal: scum, crook, rip-off artist.
A few weeks later a court summons arrives. In Costa Rica, that last line is often the part that matters most. A story that does the rounds in expat circles goes exactly like this: a man complained online about his own lawyer, finished with a string of insults, and found himself on the receiving end of a claim brought by that same lawyer.
If you live here, or are planning to, it pays to know where the line is. Costa Rica protects a person’s honour in its Penal Code, and courts apply those rules to Facebook, WhatsApp and online reviews just as they do to newspapers.
What the law actually says
Crimes against honour are set out in the Penal Code (Law 4573), Articles 145 to 155. Three of them cover most situations:
- Insults (injurias), Article 145: offending someone’s dignity or decorum, in words or actions, to their face or in a message sent to them. 10 to 50 days’ fine, or 15 to 75 if it happens in public.
- Defamation (difamación), Article 146: dishonouring someone or spreading things that can damage their reputation. 20 to 60 days’ fine.
- False accusation of a crime (calumnia), Article 147: falsely saying someone committed a crime. Calling a person a thief or a fraudster without proof can fall here. 50 to 150 days’ fine.
A “day’s fine” is not a fixed amount. The judge sets the value of each day according to the person’s income, so the same conviction costs more for someone who earns more. There is no prison for these offences today, but that is rarely where the real cost lies. The person you wrote about can also claim civil damages, including compensation for moral damage, in the same case, and that is where the larger sums usually come from.
Sharing it can make it yours
Article 152 says that anyone who publishes or reproduces, by any means, an offence against someone’s honour made by another person is treated as its author. In practice that means forwarding the screenshot, re-posting the rant or sharing the “warning” can put you in the same position as the person who wrote it.
Is it a defence that it was true?
Not as often as people from the United States or Canada expect. Under Article 149, telling the truth is a defence only when the statement was not made purely to offend, and the accused can only prove the truth in limited cases: when it is tied to a current matter of public interest, or when the person who filed the complaint asks for that proof.
Article 151 does protect honest criticism. Unfavourable professional, artistic or literary opinions are not offences, as long as the way they are expressed does not show an intention to offend. “He missed two hearings and stopped returning my calls” is criticism of a service. “He is a crook and a piece of garbage” is something else.
Real cases from Costa Rica
- A Facebook rant in Pavas (2015). A man posted that a well-known commentator was “garbage” and “corrupt”. The Pavas court convicted him, with a penalty reported at around ten million colones, and the case was described as a warning against throwing accusations around on social media without proof.
- “Charlatan” on Facebook (2025). After economist Gerardo Corrales gave an interview on exchange rates, a businessman called him a charlatan on Facebook. In July 2025 the court ordered the businessman to pay a fine, the court costs and civil damages to a charity, to delete the comments and to publish an apology in La Nación.
- A president and a Facebook post (2013). President Laura Chinchilla filed a criminal complaint against a lawyer and hotel owner over a Facebook post about her land purchases. The case drew criticism, but it showed how seriously honour is taken here, all the way to the top.
- A television director. A former director of the University of Costa Rica’s TV channel was convicted on two counts of defamation and ordered to pay fines, moral damages and court costs.
A bill could add prison
In April 2026 a group of legislators filed bill 25.537, which would add prison sentences for defamation and false accusation, with longer terms when the statements are made publicly or online. It is a proposal, not law. As of this article it has not been approved, but it shows the direction some legislators want to take.
How to complain without ending up in court
- Stick to facts you can prove. Dates, what was agreed, what happened. Leave out the names you are tempted to call people.
- Use the formal channels first. Complaints about a lawyer’s conduct go to the Colegio de Abogados y Abogadas; consumer problems with a business go to the Ministry of Economy (MEIC); money owed goes to the courts.
- Don’t share other people’s rants. Article 152 applies to you too.
- Keep your evidence. Contracts, receipts, messages and screenshots help you in a complaint, and in your defence if one is filed against you.
- If you receive a complaint, talk to a Costa Rican lawyer before you reply, delete or post anything else.
Why this matters when you move here
Many newcomers bring the habit of “say it online and let the internet decide”. Costa Rica works differently. Honour is protected by law, judges take these complaints seriously, and a criminal case is the last thing you want while you are building a new life and dealing with residency paperwork. A calm, factual complaint through the right office almost always gets you further than an angry post.
For the wider legal picture, including how Costa Rica’s legal system works and the time limits for bringing a claim, read our guide to the laws of Costa Rica.
Planning a move? CRIE helps people choose the right residency route and prepare their documents correctly. Contact CRIE or WhatsApp +506 8373 2085.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Penal Code Articles 145 to 152 were checked against the official text on SINALEVI (Law 4573, current version) on 4 October 2026. Laws change; speak to a Costa Rican lawyer about your own situation.