No, Costa Rica does not have an army. The country abolished its military on Dec. 1, 1948, after a short civil war, and the 1949 Constitution bans a permanent army to this day. Security is handled by civilian police forces under the Ministry of Public Security, including a coast guard, an air surveillance unit and a border police.
This guide explains why Costa Rica has no army, how the country defends itself without one, what visitors actually see on the ground and where to see the history for yourself in San José.
| Costa Rica army | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Does it have one? | No. The army was abolished on Dec. 1, 1948 |
| Legal basis | Article 12 of the 1949 Constitution |
| Who abolished it | José Figueres Ferrer, head of the junta that governed after the 1948 civil war |
| Who keeps order today | Ministry of Public Security: Fuerza Pública (national police), Coast Guard, Air Surveillance Service and Border Police |
| Can it ever form one? | Only under a continental agreement or for national defense, and always under civilian control |
| Where to see the history | The National Museum, in the old Bellavista barracks in downtown San José |
| Holiday | Dec. 1, Día de la Abolición del Ejército (Army Abolition Day) |
The short answer
Does Costa Rica Have an Army?
Costa Rica has had no army for more than 75 years. It has no air force, no navy, no tanks and no conscription. The country spends its security budget on police, and the people who carry out those jobs answer to civilian ministers, not generals.
That doesn’t mean Costa Rica had no military history. Its army fought the American filibuster William Walker in 1856 and 1857, the war that made a national hero of the drummer boy Juan Santamaría. Read more about the Filibuster War and how it shaped the country.
History
Why Costa Rica Abolished Its Military
The 1948 civil war
The story starts with a disputed election. In February 1948, opposition candidate Otilio Ulate won the presidential vote, but Congress, controlled by allies of former president Rafael Ángel Calderón Guardia, annulled the result. José Figueres Ferrer, a farmer and outspoken critic of the government, led an armed uprising in March. The fighting lasted about six weeks and left roughly 2,000 people dead, by common estimates.
Figueres won. His Founding Junta of the Second Republic governed for 18 months, then handed power to Ulate, the man who had won the election, in November 1949.
Dec. 1, 1948: The army is abolished
On Dec. 1, 1948, Figueres announced the end of the army at the Bellavista barracks in San José and knocked down part of a wall to mark the moment. The fortress was handed over for civilian use, and the National Museum has occupied it since 1950.
The decision became law in Article 12 of the 1949 Constitution. Its opening line is short: “The Army as a permanent institution is abolished.” The article allows police forces to keep public order and says military forces may be organized only under a continental agreement or for national defense. Any such forces must stay subordinate to civilian power and may not deliberate or make political statements.
The reasons behind it
Historians point to a mix of motives, and Costa Ricans still debate how much weight each one deserves:
- Preventing coups. Across Latin America, armies often overthrew elected governments. Without one, there is no institution with the weapons and the command structure to do it.
- Money for social programs. Supporters argued the military budget would do more good in schools and public health.
- Politics after the war. The old army was small, had been beaten in the civil war and was tied to the losing side. Dissolving it also removed a potential threat to the new government.
One honest caveat: Costa Rica’s social programs did not start in 1948. The national social security system (the CCSS, or Caja) dates to 1941, before the civil war. Abolition let later governments keep expanding education and health care without a defense budget competing for the same money. See our guides to the Costa Rica education system and health care in Costa Rica.
Security today
Who Protects Costa Rica Without a Military?
Day-to-day security belongs to the Ministry of Public Security (Ministerio de Seguridad Pública). Its main forces are police, not soldiers:
- Fuerza Pública. The uniformed national police. Officers patrol towns and highways, respond to 911 calls and staff local stations. The Tourist Police (Policía Turística) works in busy visitor areas.
- Servicio Nacional de Guardacostas. The coast guard patrols both coasts and the waters around Cocos Island, with a focus on drug trafficking, illegal fishing and rescues.
- Servicio de Vigilancia Aérea. The air surveillance service flies light aircraft and helicopters for patrols and rescues.
- Policía de Fronteras. The border police watch the borders with Nicaragua and Panama.
- Policía de Control de Drogas. The drug control police handle narcotics investigations.
Two other forces sit outside the ministry. The Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) is the detective branch under the court system, and the Tránsito (traffic police) answers to the Ministry of Public Works and Transport.
Critics on both sides argue about this setup. Some say the police have grown more armed and more military in style as drug trafficking through Central America has increased. A smaller group says the country should rebuild an army. Neither view has much public support; most Costa Ricans treat the absence of an army as part of the national identity.
Defense
How Costa Rica Handles Outside Threats
Without an army, Costa Rica relies on regional treaties, international courts and diplomacy. It has tested that approach more than once.
The 1948 and 1955 invasions
Supporters of Calderón, backed from Nicaragua, crossed the border in December 1948 and again in January 1955. Both times Costa Rica took its case to the Organization of American States (OAS), which handled it under the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, known as the Rio Treaty. In 1955, OAS investigators found that Nicaragua’s government was supporting the rebels, and the United States sold Costa Rica four warplanes for a symbolic $1 each. The rebels were pushed back across the border. For an older chapter of that story, Santa Rosa National Park preserves La Casona, the ranch house where Costa Rican troops beat Walker’s filibusters in 1856.
The Isla Portillos case
In 2010, Nicaragua sent troops onto a strip of wetland near the mouth of the San Juan River that Costa Rica considers its own. Costa Rica had no army to send. It went to the International Court of Justice instead. In December 2015, the court ruled 14 to 2 that the territory belongs to Costa Rica and that Nicaragua had violated Costa Rican sovereignty.
Neutrality and peace diplomacy
In 1983, President Luis Alberto Monge declared Costa Rica permanently neutral. In 1987, President Óscar Arias won the Nobel Peace Prize for his plan to end the wars in Central America. San José is also home to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the UN-mandated University for Peace has its campus outside the capital.
For visitors
What a Country Without an Army Looks Like When You Visit
For travelers, the absence of an army is mostly invisible. You won’t see soldiers at airports, armored vehicles on the highways or military bases on the way to the beach. Here’s what you will see:
- Police in blue. Fuerza Pública officers wear dark blue uniforms and patrol in marked pickups and motorcycles. Call 911 in an emergency.
- Checkpoints near the borders. On highways near Nicaragua and Panama, police and immigration officers sometimes stop traffic to check documents. Keep your passport, or a copy with your entry stamp, within reach.
- Traffic police. Tránsito officers run speed checks and roadside stops. They are a separate force from the Fuerza Pública.
Crime in Costa Rica is mostly petty theft and car break-ins, which police handle, not soldiers. Read our tips for staying safe in Costa Rica before you go.
See it yourself
Where to See Costa Rica’s Military History
National Museum of Costa Rica
The best stop is the National Museum (Museo Nacional) in downtown San José. The building is the old Bellavista barracks, a fortress with towers and thick walls, and its exhibits cover pre-Columbian cultures and the country’s history. It opens Tuesday through Sunday, and foreign visitors pay a separate entry fee from residents. Check the museum’s website for current hours and prices.
The square in front of the museum, the Plaza de la Democracia y de la Abolición del Ejército, honors the decision. Pair the visit with other museums in and around San José, such as the Gold Museum, or plan a full day with our first-timer’s guide to San José.
Army Abolition Day, Dec. 1
Since 2020, Dec. 1 has been a national holiday, Día de la Abolición del Ejército. It’s a non-mandatory paid holiday under Costa Rican labor law, so many businesses keep normal hours, while schools and public institutions hold events. See our full list of Costa Rica holidays and celebrations, and read about how the country marks Independence Day on Sept. 15.
Want more Costa Rica history? Read about the Costa Rican flag, the meaning of pura vida and how San José became the capital.
FAQ
Costa Rica Army FAQ
Does Costa Rica have an army?
No. Costa Rica abolished its army on Dec. 1, 1948, and Article 12 of the 1949 Constitution bans a permanent army. Civilian police forces handle security.
Why does Costa Rica not have a military?
After the 1948 civil war, José Figueres abolished the army. Historians cite several motives: preventing military coups, freeing money for education and health, and dismantling a force tied to the losing side of the war.
Who protects Costa Rica if it has no army?
The Ministry of Public Security runs the Fuerza Pública (national police), the Coast Guard, the Air Surveillance Service and the Border Police. For outside threats, Costa Rica relies on the OAS, the Rio Treaty and international courts.
Can Costa Rica create an army in an emergency?
The Constitution allows military forces only under a continental agreement or for national defense, and they must remain under civilian control. It has never formed a standing army since 1948.
Does Costa Rica have an air force or navy?
No. It has an air surveillance service and a coast guard, both police units under the Ministry of Public Security, used for patrols, rescues and anti-drug work.
Is Dec. 1 a holiday in Costa Rica?
Yes. Since 2020, Dec. 1 has been Army Abolition Day, a non-mandatory paid holiday, so many shops and businesses stay open.
Where can I learn about the abolition of the army?
Visit the National Museum in San José. It occupies the old Bellavista barracks, where Figueres announced the end of the army in 1948.
The short version
Costa Rica has had no army since Dec. 1, 1948, and its Constitution bans a permanent one.
Civilian police forces, including a coast guard and border police, handle security.
See the history at the National Museum, the former army barracks in San José.