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Criminal penalties in Latvia

Checked in October 2026 against the Krimināllikums (Criminal Law of Latvia), consolidated text on Likumi.lv with amendments through 2026, read in Latvian.

These are statutory ranges for a first offence, from the least to the most the law allows. A court decides the actual sentence in each case. We read the code in its original language and give the offences in plain English, with the legal term where it helps. For anything that matters, rely on the code itself. Not legal advice.

How Latvia sets penalties

  • Latvia's Criminal Law states most penalties as 'brīvības atņemšana uz laiku līdz N gadiem' (deprivation of liberty for a term of up to N years) or a range ('no trim līdz divpadsmit gadiem'). For many offences the lower tiers also allow short-term custody, probation, community service or a fine, and the court may use one of them instead of a long term.
  • Murder has three tiers: murder (s. 116: life or 5 to 20 years), murder in aggravating circumstances (s. 117: life or 10 to 20 years) and murder in especially aggravating circumstances (s. 118: life or 15 to 20 years). This table maps ss. 117 and 118 to the 'first degree' row and s. 116 to the 'second degree' row.
  • Latvia grades property crimes by the amount: 'ievērojams apmērs' (considerable), 'liels apmērs' (large) and 'īpaši liels apmērs' (especially large). The money thresholds are set elsewhere in the Law and were not read.
  • Probation supervision is often added to a prison term, and confiscation of property may also be ordered. This table shows only the prison term.
  • Arson and drunk driving are left out. Arson sits among several offences about damaging property, and drunk driving is dealt with mainly in administrative law, and neither was read as a single provision.
  • This table shows first-offence ranges.

Death penalty: No. The most serious punishment in the Criminal Law is life imprisonment (mūža ieslodzījums), set for murder in its aggravated forms (ss. 117 and 118).

Read the Latvia legal-system profile in the Legal Families Atlas →

First-degree murder

Life, or 10 to 20 years (aggravating circumstances); life, or 15 to 20 years (especially aggravating circumstances)

  • Murder in aggravating circumstances (slepkavība pastiprinošos apstākļos) (Offence (brīvības atņemšana))

    Least
    10 years (the alternative is life)
    Most
    Life imprisonment (mūža ieslodzījums)

    Criminal Law of Latvia (Krimināllikums), s. 117

  • Murder in especially aggravating circumstances (slepkavība sevišķi pastiprinošos apstākļos) (Offence (brīvības atņemšana))

    Least
    15 years (the alternative is life)
    Most
    Life imprisonment (mūža ieslodzījums)

    Criminal Law of Latvia (Krimināllikums), s. 118

Murder in aggravating circumstances (s. 117) includes killing a woman known to be pregnant, a helpless person, with danger to the lives of several people, with particular cruelty, in connection with robbery or rape, in order to conceal or facilitate another crime, for gain, by a group, and the killing of a minor, among others. Murder in especially aggravating circumstances (s. 118) includes killing because the victim or a relative performed official or professional duties or testified, killing two or more persons, killing by a person serving a life sentence, and killing by an organised group.

Second-degree murder

Life imprisonment, or 5 to 20 years

Voluntary manslaughter

Up to 5 years (killing in a state of strong mental agitation)

Latvia has no offence called manslaughter. The nearest is killing in a state of sudden strong mental agitation caused by violence or a serious attack on honour by the victim (s. 120). The penalty is up to five years, or short-term custody, or probation.

Robbery

Up to 5 years (robbery); 3 to 12 years (large amount); 5 to 15 years (with firearms or explosives)

Burglary

Up to 2 years (theft); up to 5 years (theft by entering a vehicle, dwelling or other premises); 2 to 10 years (large amount)

Latvia has no separate burglary offence. Break-ins are theft (zādzība, s. 175). The third tier covers theft committed by entering a vehicle, dwelling or other premises.

Aggravated assault

Up to 1 year (light injury); up to 3 years (moderate); up to 7 years (serious); up to 15 years (serious with aggravation)

Rape and sexual assault

4 to 10 years (rape); life or 5 to 20 years (group rape, or rape of a minor); life or 10 to 20 years (serious consequences, or victim under 16)

Kidnapping

Up to 5 years (abduction of a person); up to 7 years (a minor); 3 to 12 years (serious consequences)

Embezzlement

Up to 2 years (misappropriation); up to 5 years; up to 10 years (large amount)

  • Misappropriation (piesavināšanās): unlawfully acquiring or squandering another's property entrusted to the offender (Offence (brīvības atņemšana))

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    2 years

    Or a lighter sanction such as probation, community service or a fine, in the lower tiers

    Criminal Law of Latvia (Krimināllikums), s. 179(1)

  • Misappropriation of a considerable amount, or by a group by prior agreement (Offence (brīvības atņemšana))

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    5 years

    Or a lighter sanction such as probation, community service or a fine, in the lower tiers

    Criminal Law of Latvia (Krimināllikums), s. 179(2)

  • Misappropriation of a large amount (Offence (brīvības atņemšana))

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    10 years

    Criminal Law of Latvia (Krimināllikums), s. 179(3)

Forgery

Up to 1 year; up to 4 years in aggravated forms

  • Forging a document that grants rights or releases from obligations (dokumenta viltošana) (Offence (brīvības atņemšana))

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    1 year

    Or a lighter sanction such as probation, community service or a fine, in the lower tiers

    Criminal Law of Latvia (Krimināllikums), s. 275(1)

  • The same, done for gain or in other listed circumstances (Offence (brīvības atņemšana))

    Least
    No minimum term set by the statute
    Most
    4 years

    Or a lighter sanction such as probation, community service or a fine, in the lower tiers

    Criminal Law of Latvia (Krimināllikums), s. 275(2)

Section 275 covers making, forging or using a document that grants rights or releases from duties. The aggravated form applies where it is done for gain, among other circumstances.

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