BASE jumping has its own unique set of ethical guidelines which have been evolving over time. The underlying motivation for BASE ethics is a shared desire to jump, and to do so while avoiding arrest or injury. The bottom line aim of BASE ethics is to allow jumpers to continue making as many jumps as possible in the long run. It follows then, that actions which make it harder for others to jump are generally viewed as unethical, to some varying degree.

The nuances of BASE ethics vary from place to place, and especially depending on the legal status of a site. Sometimes there are established guidelines for a site such as at an increasing number of popular legal sites. The guidelines usually have been established for good reasons, and often in conjunction with local authorities. Jumpers breaking these rules, through ignorance or otherwise, undermine the legalization efforts of the entire BASE community.

The guiding principle of BASE ethics is respect. BASE jumpers should respect the sport, the sites, and other people whether jumpers or non-jumpers.

Failing to respect the serious nature of BASE will quickly alienate many experienced jumpers, who have learned to respect BASE through hard personal experiences. Lack of respect for the sport can be shown in many ways. Dismissing the inherent dangers of the sport is one. Putting unprepared people off for a "BASE thrill ride" is another. Instructing students who lack appropriate preparation is a third. The bottom line is that BASE can, like many extreme sports, turn deadly serious in a heartbeat.

Failing to respect sites, and the guidelines for jumping them be they formal or not, will almost certainly anger jumpers who established, and continue to jump, those sites. Site guidelines and procedures vary from simple ("don’t land by the farmhouse"), to Byzantine ("drive up the left side of the dirt road, park behind the loading dock, and keep your lights on until you reach the third door"), to downright bizarre. Respecting other people is especially more important in BASE. Jumpers depend on each other for instruction, assistance and mutual aid. While this is most obvious in simple things, like carpooling to a jump site, it also applies to opening and maintaining site access, avoiding arrest, and providing medical assistance to injured jumpers. In the most extreme, jumpers rely on each other for emotional support when tragedy occurs. While they sometimes like to think of themselves as rugged individualists, in the end, BASE is a team sport.

BASE ethics also demand that jumpers should also respect the non-jumping people who live or work around BASE sites. Many jumpers travel to jump, and it is important to understand and respect the culture and wishes of the local people. There are some popular cliffs in Europe, for example, where jumpers are asked to land in specific areas so as not to disrupt local agriculture. The popular legal span in the western US is located in a small, conservative, rural community, which has little tolerance for public nudity or profanity. Understanding and respecting the culture of local residents helps protect site access, as well as conveying a positive image of BASE jumpers to the general public.