5 Miss Universe Rules You Didn't Know Contestants Have to Follow

As the annual Miss Universe pageant draws nearer, contestants are ramping up their preparation for the international beauty pageant.

On Friday, Nov. 21, over one hundred contestants from countries across the globe will walk the stage — representing their country in the worldwide pageant on coronation night. This year, the pageant will take place at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand, and will be themed "The Power of Love."

The last time the country hosted the competition was seven years ago in 2018, when Catriona Gray of the Philippines was crowned Miss Universe.

Leading up to the event this year, delegates will arrive in Thailand nearly three weeks before the final night of the pageant on Nov. 2, and take part in various Thai cultural events and pageant-related preparation before the actual competition itself takes place.

The current Miss Universe pageant, as it exists today, began back in 1952, and was founded by California-based clothing company Pacific Knitting Mills, which was also the manufacturer of Catalina Swimwear.

The company had also been the sponsor of the Miss America pageant; however, in 1951 winner of that year's Miss America pageant, Yolanda Betbeze, refused to pose in one of the swimwear brand's suits, prompting Pacific Knitting Mills to organize both the Miss Universe and Miss USA pageants.

Over the last 73 years, the pageant has evolved and changed, updating its rules about everything from eligibility to competition format.

Read below to find out what rules contestants must abide by in order to compete in the international competition.

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There is an age minimum requirement for contestants — but not an upper limit

While some other major pageants require that contestants' ages fall between a certain range, Miss Universe has distanced itself from such restrictions in order to create a more inclusive pageant environment.

In 2023, the official Miss Universe organization announced that all women above the age of 18 would now be able to compete in the pageant, marking a departure from the competition's previous restrictions, which mandated that only contestants between the ages of 18 to 28 could compete in the pageant.

Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel announced the groundbreaking change during Tanner Fletcher’s show at New York Fashion Week, which was fittingly titled “Beauty Pageant,"
according to Women's Wear Daily.

“My favorite quote is ‘If not now, then when?’ Because I believe age should not define us,” Gabriel said at the time. “It’s not tomorrow, it’s not yesterday, but it’s now — the time is now that you can go after what you want.”

Contestants must first win their country's local Miss Universe-backed pageant

In order to be a contestant in the Miss Universe pageant, delegates for a country must first win a local Miss Universe-licensed pageant, like Miss USA.

As a result, the number of participants in the Miss Universe pageant fluctuates year after year based on certain franchising restrictions and changes.

This year's winner of the Miss USA pageant on Oct. 24 will go to Thailand to vie for the Miss Universe crown.

Contestants must compete in a swimsuit competition portion of the pageant

While many pageants have dispensed with the swimsuit portion of their competitions, the event still remains a part of the Miss Universe competition.

Usually, the swimsuit competition is a preliminary competition, taking place before the official coronation on the final night of the pageant. Unlike other pageants like Miss America, the Miss Universe competition does not have a talent portion in its lineup.

Miss USA, which is owned by the Miss Universe Organization, also asks that its pageants participate in a swimsuit competition.

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Miss Universe titleholders must not compete in any other pageants during their reign — including the runner-ups

On April 22, 2025, the Miss Universe organization put out a press release clarifying its rules and regulations surrounding what titleholders can and cannot do during their 12-month reign.

The release came after the third runner-up in 2024's competition, Suchata "Opal" Chuangsri, went on to compete in the Miss World Thailand pageant despite holding the third runner-up title. As a result, the Miss Universe Organization revoked her title for breaching contractual obligations by competing in another external pageant before finishing her reign.

"Recently, we have discovered that TPN Global did not comply with the protocols set by the National Directors (ND) by sending a Miss Universe Queen to participate in another pageant before completing her reign," the Miss Universe Organization wrote of the national organizer in charge of running Miss Universe Thailand. "We deeply regret any incidents where these actions have violated our internal protocols and expectations."

Despite the stripping of her Miss Universe title, Chuangsri went on to be crowned Miss World Thailand and competed in the overall Miss World pageant, ultimately winning that title as well.

Pageant contestants are allowed to be married and be mothers

In August 2022, the Miss Universe Organization revealed that it would be allowing both married women and mothers to compete in the competition for the first time in its history.

The new rules went into effect for the 72nd Miss Universe pageant in 2023, according to an internal memo obtained by The National.

Up until the rule change, only women between the ages of 18 and 28 who had never before been married and had no children were allowed to compete for the title of Miss Universe.

The first mother to compete in the Miss Universe pageant was Miss Guatemala Michelle Cohn in 202, alongside the first married contestant with a child, Miss Colombia Camila Avella, who placed in the top five that year.