Legal pitfalls that ordinary people often overlook✳
This section looks at two key aspects: personal freedom and money. Many everyday actions that people assume are harmless can actually lead to detention, fines, or even criminal sentences. For each item we list the exact legal numbers from statutes, along with real cases documented by official sources. The Public Security Administration Punishment Law referenced here is the 2025 revised version, which took effect on January 1, 2026; its article numbers differ from earlier editions. The Criminal Law excerpts come from a compiled text reposted by Beijing’s Traffic Management Bureau, updated according to Amendment XI to the Criminal Law; we note which amendment applies to each passage. Items are ordered from those most likely to be unintentionally broken to those carrying the heaviest penalties.
English text comes from the independent translation maintained by dlgrv. New entries without a translation appear in Chinese. The author's Chinese original is authoritative for the latest content. Translation snapshot: dlgrv/HowToLiveBetter · 11818c6
Do not share unverified messages about disasters, epidemics, or police incidents in groups; do not photoshop images or use AI to generate fake scene pictures.
If you know a message about a disaster, epidemic, or police incident is false yet still share it, you’ll face penalties just as severe as if you had fabricated it yourself. Even if you didn’t create the content, you could be detained for 5 to 10 days and fined up to 1,000 yuan. Intentionally disrupting social order can land you in prison for up to 3 years, while causing serious consequences may result in a sentence of 3 to 7 years. Any photoshopped images or AI-generated fake scene pictures are treated as self-created content as well.
Cost
No cost involved. Simply check whether the message is an o…
Benefit
Those who deliberately spread rumors or make false reports about disasters, epidemics, or police incidents to…
02Evidence A
Do not post, share, or comment images, memes, or remarks that insult heroes and martyrs, nor make jokes about the national flag or anthem.
Making jokes about heroes, martyrs, the national flag, or anthem can lead to a detention period of 5 to 10 days, or a fine ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 yuan for minor violations. More serious cases result in 10 to 15 days of detention. If the act constitutes a crime, the offender faces up to 3 years in prison. In one case, a person posted two remarks defaming Yuan Longping in a WeChat group with 499 villagers; they were sentenced to 6 months of control, a penalty that restricts their movements without requiring imprisonment.
Cost
No cost at all. There is absolutely no need to comment on,…
Benefit
Those who insult, slander, or fabricate false information about heroes and martyrs, thereby harming their name…
03Evidence A
After viewing content on foreign websites, simply close the page — do not screenshot, share, repost, or discuss it in any groups or comment sections.
These laws target actions of spreading content abroad, not merely viewing it. One notable exception applies to books, audio, or video materials promoting terrorism or extremism: simply possessing such materials with full knowledge of their nature can lead to a sentence of up to three years in prison, depending on the severity of the case. For all other content, reposting, sharing in groups, or commenting on it is considered dissemination. If such actions amount to inciting subversion or separatism, the penalty is up to five years; leaders or those with major roles face more than five years. Those collaborating with foreign entities to commit these acts face harsher penalties. Anyone receiving funding from abroad to carry out such activities may be sentenced to five years or less; repeat offenders or those with serious consequences face more than five years. Illegally obtaining or providing state secrets or intelligence to foreign entities results in five to ten years in prison; especially severe cases may lead to life imprisonment or over ten years. Even lesser violations still incur a mandatory deprivation of political rights for one to five years, during which voting rights and eligibility for public office are suspended. Additional penalties may include confiscation of personal assets. On the administrative side, no individual or organization may use the internet to threaten national security, honor, or interests, or to incite subversion, separatism, or anti-socialist activities. Violators face penalties under relevant laws and regulations. Possessing extremist or terrorist materials without sharing them can also lead to criminal charges under Article 120-6 of the Criminal Law, punishable by up to three years in prison, fines, or both.
Cost
No cost involved. Once the page is closed, the matter is o…
Benefit
Those who spread false information, slander, or otherwise incite others to subvert state authority or overthro…
04Evidence A
Watching porn alone is fine, but don’t post it in groups, sell “resources,” or create groups
Watching porn privately is perfectly legal and not prohibited by law. However, posting it in a group counts as distributing it to everyone in that group. Penalties include detention from 10 to 15 days and fines up to 5,000 yuan; more serious cases may result in up to 2 years in prison. Those who profit by selling or distributing such content face up to 3 years in prison, while repeat or severe offenders may be sentenced to 3–10 years, or even life imprisonment. Creating a group with 30 or more members solely for sharing porn also constitutes a crime — organizers, admins, and primary posters all face criminal charges.
Cost
There’s no expense involved. Simply avoid forwarding, savi…
Benefit
Distributing porn online leads to detention from 10 to 15 days plus fines up to 5,000 yuan. For lesser offense…
05Evidence A
Part-time jobs that ask you to use your own card to receive payments, withdraw cash, or transfer money — no matter how much extra pay they offer, avoid them
These part-time jobs promise only a few hundred dollars in earnings, yet they can leave you with a criminal record. One person brought his ID and a single bank card to a designated location, helped with transfers and withdrawals, and earned just over $500. Even though prosecutors did not file charges, police still detained him for 10 days and fined him $1,000. Another individual handed over his own and others’ bank cards plus SIM cards to a criminal group for cash handling; he was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison and fined $22,000.
Cost
There is no direct monetary cost, but you should steer cle…
Benefit
Anyone who knowingly helps move, buy, sell, or otherwise conceal money or property obtained through illegal ac…
06Evidence A
Some people try to get you to “package loan applicants” for them and offer a commission based on the loan amount — don’t fall for it.
Helping others “package” loan applications in order to get a cut of the proceeds is a form of fraud. One criminal gang of 126 members turned unemployed individuals into “prime customers” and tricked over 80 banks into issuing loans totaling more than 30 million yuan. Those who signed the loan documents on behalf of the applicants received 30% of each loan amount as a commission. Out of the 80 people convicted so far, 76 have been sentenced to between 1 year and 4 months and 6 years and 6 months in prison. Remember: the person whose name appears on the loan contract is legally responsible for repaying it.
Cost
There’s no cost at all. Just say no. Never lend your ID ca…
Benefit
Committing fraud to obtain loans, acceptance letters, letters of credit, or guarantees from banks or other fin…
07Evidence A
Keeping found items and not using them for personal gain; returning lost phones, wallets, or cash to owners or police
Keeping found items for personal use when the value reaches “a relatively large amount” without returning them is a criminal offense known as misappropriation, punishable by up to 2 years in prison. If the amount is especially large, the sentence rises to 2–5 years. Using a found credit card at an ATM to withdraw cash is even more serious — it constitutes “unauthorized use of another person’s credit card.” When the amount involved is relatively large, offenders face up to 5 years in prison plus fines ranging from 20,000 to 200,000 yuan. In such cases, police open a case automatically without needing any complaint from the owner.
Cost
No cost at all — it only takes a few minutes. Simply call…
Benefit
Returning lost items to their rightful owners promptly — whether by notifying them directly or handing them ov…
08Evidence A
Use your real identity to claim discounts — don’t register fake accounts or exploit loopholes to get more
Using your own real identity and one account to claim a discount is perfectly fine. Creating multiple fake accounts or placing orders yourself just to get extra coupons is considered fraud. If you defraud someone out of 3,000 yuan or more, you can be sentenced to up to three years in prison; amounts over 30,000 yuan bring penalties of three to ten years. In one case, delivery workers bought virtual phone numbers for just 0.1 yuan each, used them to claim coupons, and together generated over 90,000 yuan in illicit gains; twelve people involved received sentences ranging from three years and six months to three months of detention. Additionally, one individual managed to obtain 29 yuan in discounts through such means.
Cost
There is no cost involved. You simply avoid taking part in…
Benefit
Defrauding others or the state of money is punishable by up to three years in prison plus a fine when the amou…
09Evidence A
Never throw anything from balconies or windows — cigarette butts, trash bags, and bottles all count
Even if you throw something from a height and do not hit anyone, you can still be detained for up to 5 days and fined 1,000 yuan. For more serious cases, the detention period rises to 10–15 days. If your actions do end up hitting someone, the charges become even more severe. For example, a man who was drunk on the 21st floor threw empty bottles and glass cups down to a playground below, striking a 13-year-old student and leaving them with serious injuries; he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Another individual threw 8 bricks from the 32nd floor, killing one person; in 2024, the Supreme People’s Court approved a death sentence for this offender.
Cost
This costs nothing and takes no time at all. Simply bring…
Benefit
Throwing objects from heights or other elevated locations can lead to detention for up to 5 days or a fine of…
10Evidence A
Do not buy imitation guns, BB guns, or air rifles online; avoid “toy guns” of unknown origin
Any BB gun or air rifle purchased online that meets or exceeds a muzzle energy threshold of 1.8 joules per square centimeter is classified as a firearm. Possessing such a gun without a permit can lead to a sentence of up to 3 years in prison; more serious cases may result in 3 to 7 years. In one case, a couple sold “toy guns” at a local market. Of the 43 guns seized, 18 were confirmed to meet firearm standards. Since there was insufficient evidence to prove they knew these items were firearms, they were not prosecuted due to evidentiary doubts.
Cost
No cost involved. If you want to shoot, visit a licensed s…
Benefit
Unauthorized possession or concealment of firearms without a permit is punishable by up to 3 years in prison;
11Evidence A
Register drones with your real name first; never fly near airports, military zones, or restricted urban airspace, and don’t tamper with altitude limits
Flying a drone without proper registration can result in a fine of up to 200 yuan; repeat or serious violations may incur fines ranging from 2,000 to 20,000 yuan. Flying in restricted airspace without authorization carries a maximum fine of 500 yuan; in severe cases, the drone is confiscated and additional fines of 1,000–10,000 yuan apply. Serious violations may also lead to detention for 5–10 days. One individual paid to remove altitude restrictions on his drone, flew it to nearly 3,000 meters to capture cloud images, and posted the footage online; he was subsequently detained for 5 days.
Cost
Registering your drone is free and takes just a few minute…
Benefit
Operators who fly without registration may be ordered to correct the issue and face fines up to 200 yuan;
12Evidence A
Do not secretly film others, nor install cameras in rented apartments, homestays, or hotel rooms
Secretly watching, filming, or distributing someone else’s private information can lead to detention for up to 5 days, or a fine of up to 1000 yuan. For more serious cases, detention ranges from 5 to 10 days. Using dedicated secret filming equipment that results in severe consequences can result in a sentence of up to 2 years in prison. In one case, two individuals purchased secret filming equipment online and installed it in multiple rooms across three hotels to film remotely; they were sentenced to 1 year and 3 months and 1 year respectively. Installing surveillance cameras in your own home is permitted, but doing so in rooms used by others is prohibited.
Cost
There is no cost involved, nor does it require any time in…
Benefit
Those found guilty of secretly watching, filming, eavesdropping on, or distributing someone else’s private inf…
13Evidence B
Mahjong and poker can be played — no rake, no banker role, no organizing paid games, no online gambling
Playing low‑stakes card games with friends is completely legal. However, once you start taking a cut of the pot, acting as banker, or charging money to organize the game, the activity becomes illegal: anyone involved in gambling with relatively large stakes can face up to 5 days in detention or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan. Those who run gambling dens or make a living from gambling may be sentenced to up to 3 years in prison; casino operators can be sentenced to up to 5 years. Exactly what amount counts as “relatively large stakes” varies by region — there is no single national threshold.
Cost
No expense at all. Small‑stakes games among friends are pe…
Benefit
Providing facilities or services for gambling in order to make money, or taking part in gambling with relative…
14Evidence A
Do not eat wild animals; do not buy, sell, or keep protected species as pets
If you eat a nationally protected animal, the animal will be confiscated and you will be fined 2 to 20 times its market value. Those who purchase, transport, or sell precious and endangered animals face up to 5 years in prison; repeat offenders may be sentenced to 5 to 10 years. However, this rule does not apply to animals bred in captivity: in one case, three breeders sold over 40 captive-bred rose-ringed parakeets worth less than 400 yuan total, and prosecutors chose not to press charges. This exemption does not cover animals caught in the wild or those with unclear origins.
Cost
No cost involved. Only purchase pets that are legally sour…
Benefit
Consuming or purchasing nationally protected wildlife results in confiscation of the animal and a fine of 2 to…
15Evidence A
You cannot detain or confine someone to collect a debt, nor follow them home and refuse to leave
The money truly belongs to you, but you still cannot detain or confine the debtor. Laws explicitly state that detaining or confining someone solely to collect a debt is treated as illegal imprisonment. In minor cases, offenders face 10–15 days of detention plus fines ranging from 1,000 to 2,000 yuan. If the act constitutes illegal imprisonment, penalties include up to 3 years in prison; serious injury results in 3–10 years, and death warrants 10+ years. To collect a debt, always file a lawsuit in court.
Cost
There is no cost. If someone owes you money and refuses to…
Benefit
Illegally restricting another person’s freedom, unlawfully entering their home, or conducting unauthorized sea…
16Evidence A
Do not lend your ID card, do not use someone else’s ID card, and do not register, open accounts, or buy tickets using another person’s documents.
Renting, lending, or transferring your resident ID card to another person results in a warning and a fine of up to 200 yuan. Using someone else’s ID card or an ID obtained through fraud carries a fine of 200–1,000 yuan or detention for up to 10 days. In situations where official ID is mandatory, using a forged or someone else’s ID card may lead to criminal penalties such as criminal detention or surveillance if the circumstances are serious. Purchasing train tickets or checking into a hotel fall under these mandatory ID requirements. Two specific cases involving penalties of 28 yuan and 28 instances of misuse have been documented in relevant regulations.
Cost
There is no cost involved. If someone asks to borrow your…
Benefit
Failing to follow these rules brings the same penalties: a warning plus a fine up to 200 yuan for lending or t…
17Evidence A
Cooperate when stopped or taken away by police — don’t push, hit, or grab their body cameras; especially if you’ve been drinking, stay calm.
Simply refusing to comply with police orders can result in a warning or a fine of up to 500 yuan; more serious cases may lead to detention for 5 to 10 days. Using physical force against officers falls into a separate category: biting, slapping, kicking, tackling, or throwing objects that cause even minor injuries is classified as violent assault on police, punishable by up to 3 years in prison. If weapons, controlled knives, or a vehicle are used, the sentence rises to 3 to 7 years. Simple acts like pulling away or resisting lightly do not count as violence.
Cost
No cost at all. Simply refrain from any actions on the spo…
Benefit
Refusing to comply with lawful police orders carries a warning or a fine of up to 500 yuan;
18Evidence A
Sexual relations with anyone under 14 are illegal; “she consented” is not a defense
Any sexual contact with a person under 14 is treated as rape, regardless of whether they consented. Such acts incur harsher penalties, with a baseline sentence of 3 to 10 years in prison. If the victim is under 12, it is automatically assumed that the perpetrator “should have known” their age. For victims aged 12 to 14, if the perpetrator can tell from their physical development, speech, behavior, or clothing that they are minors, and still proceeds, they are deemed to have “known” the victim was underage. The exception of “genuinely unaware of the victim’s age” is strictly limited in application.
Cost
No cost at all. If you’re unsure about the other person’s…
Benefit
Sexual contact with anyone under 14 is classified as rape and punished more severely, with a standard sentence…
19Evidence A
Do the math before you hit someone: detention, fines, and prison time
The immediate consequences of throwing a single punch: detention for 5 to 10 days plus a fine of 500 to 1,000 yuan. If the injury is classified as minor, it becomes a criminal offense, leading to up to 3 years in prison; for serious injuries, the sentence ranges from 3 to 10 years. Additional financial costs apply: one individual who broke three ribs in another person was required to pay 113,000 yuan to settle the case out of court, thereby avoiding prosecution. Another person who fractured the radius bone in a victim’s arm received a 10-month prison sentence after refusing to pay compensation.
Cost
There’s no monetary cost or time investment required. The…
Benefit
For simple assaults or intentional harm, offenders face detention for 5 to 10 days and fines of 500 to 1,000 y…
20Evidence A
If parents cannot care for their newborn, the only legal option is to register the adoption with the civil affairs bureau: paying someone to hand over the child may be prosecuted as child trafficking, while abandoning the child constitutes abandonment.
There is a legal way out for parents who cannot raise their child, but it is limited to registering the adoption with the civil affairs bureau; the adoption relationship becomes official only on the date of registration. Privately handing over a child — especially for payment — can transform what appears to be “voluntary placement” into child trafficking, a crime punishable by a minimum sentence of five years. Conversely, leaving a child unattended and refusing to provide care may be classified as abandonment, carrying a maximum penalty of five years.
Cost
There is no monetary cost. However, submitting documents t…
Benefit
Article 240 of the Criminal Law states: “Whoever traffics in women or children shall be sentenced to not less…
21Evidence A
Don’t fabricate accidents or exaggerate damages to defraud insurance payouts: this is insurance fraud, and anyone helping you testify, assess damage, or repair your vehicle is equally liable.
Deliberately fabricating an accident or inflating the extent of damage to obtain insurance money is a criminal act of insurance fraud. If the amount involved is relatively large, the offender faces up to five years in prison and a fine ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 yuan. Even seeking outside help does not exempt you from liability: anyone who provides false testimony, damage assessments, or property evaluations to assist in the fraud is treated as an accomplice and prosecuted alongside you. In a case from Xuancheng, Anhui, eight individuals including Wang were sentenced to between two and four years in prison and fined 10,000 yuan each. The judgment in this case was issued on September 26, 2019.
Cost
There is no cost and no time required. All you have to do…
Benefit
Article 198 of the Criminal Law outlines five specific scenarios constituting insurance fraud. (1) The policyh…
22Evidence A
Don’t sell your own organs, and don’t help others find donors: a kidney brings in just over $20,000, but the same kidney can be sold to a patient for $200,000. All proceeds are seized, plus a fine of 10–20 times the transaction amount.
There is no legal way to “match donors online and pay cash on the spot.” Living donors may only give organs to their spouses, direct blood relatives, or collateral relatives within three generations. Financially, it’s a poor deal: in a Beijing case, kidney sellers received only $20,000–$25,000, while the same kidney fetched $180,000–$220,000 when sold to a patient. All money earned is confiscated, followed by a fine of 10–20 times that amount. The physical toll of losing a kidney is described in Section 1, Item 35 (the remaining kidney then has to perform the work of two). In total, 28 people were convicted in this case, and the total illegal proceeds amounted to 10.34 million yuan.
Cost
There’s no expense or time involved. All you have to do is…
Benefit
Article 5 of the Regulations on Human Organ Donation and Transplantation states: “No organization or individua…
23Evidence A
Don’t engage in prostitution: the default penalty is 10–15 days in detention, not just a fine
Getting caught doesn’t just result in a minor fine. Statutory law stipulates that the default penalty is 10–15 days of administrative detention, plus a possible fine of up to 5,000 yuan. Only in cases where circumstances are relatively minor might the penalty be limited to 5 days of detention or a fine of up to 1,000 yuan. Additionally, knowingly engaging in prostitution while infected with syphilis or gonorrhea constitutes a criminal offense, punishable by up to five years in prison.
Cost
There is no cost and no time required. All you need to do…
Benefit
Article 78 of the Law on Administrative Penalties for Public Security stipulates that individuals convicted of…