diff --git a/r-package/R/read_urban_area.R b/r-package/R/read_urban_area.R
index 76975ddc..89067600 100644
--- a/r-package/R/read_urban_area.R
+++ b/r-package/R/read_urban_area.R
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
 #' \url{https://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/visualizacao/livros/liv100639.pdf}
 #'
 #' @param year Numeric. Year of the data in YYYY format. Defaults to `2015`.
+#' @param code_state The two-digit code of a state or a two-letter uppercase
+#'                   abbreviation (e.g. 33 or "RJ"). If `code_state="all"` (the
+#'                   default), the function downloads all states.
 #' @template simplified
 #' @template showProgress
 #'
@@ -20,7 +23,10 @@
 #' # Read urban footprint of Brazilian cities in an specific year
 #' d <- read_urban_area(year=2005)
 #'
-read_urban_area <- function(year=2015, simplified=TRUE, showProgress=TRUE){
+read_urban_area <- function(year = 2015,
+                            code_state = "all",
+                            simplified = TRUE,
+                            showProgress = TRUE){
 
   # Get metadata with data url addresses
   temp_meta <- select_metadata(geography="urban_area", year=year, simplified=simplified)
@@ -34,5 +40,8 @@ read_urban_area <- function(year=2015, simplified=TRUE, showProgress=TRUE){
   # check if download failed
   if (is.null(temp_sf)) { return(invisible(NULL)) }
 
+  # filter state
+  temp_sf <- filter_state(temp_sf, code = code_state)
+
   return(temp_sf)
 }
diff --git a/r-package/man/read_urban_area.Rd b/r-package/man/read_urban_area.Rd
index 3ff94e31..cad3d207 100644
--- a/r-package/man/read_urban_area.Rd
+++ b/r-package/man/read_urban_area.Rd
@@ -4,11 +4,20 @@
 \alias{read_urban_area}
 \title{Download spatial data of urbanized areas in Brazil}
 \usage{
-read_urban_area(year = 2015, simplified = TRUE, showProgress = TRUE)
+read_urban_area(
+  year = 2015,
+  code_state = "all",
+  simplified = TRUE,
+  showProgress = TRUE
+)
 }
 \arguments{
 \item{year}{Numeric. Year of the data in YYYY format. Defaults to \code{2015}.}
 
+\item{code_state}{The two-digit code of a state or a two-letter uppercase
+abbreviation (e.g. 33 or "RJ"). If \code{code_state="all"} (the
+default), the function downloads all states.}
+
 \item{simplified}{Logic \code{FALSE} or \code{TRUE}, indicating whether the function
 should return the data set with 'original' spatial resolution or a data set
 with 'simplified' geometry. Defaults to \code{TRUE}. For spatial analysis and
diff --git a/r-package/tests/testthat/test-read_urban_area.R b/r-package/tests/testthat/test-read_urban_area.R
index 4e01d41d..05203087 100644
--- a/r-package/tests/testthat/test-read_urban_area.R
+++ b/r-package/tests/testthat/test-read_urban_area.R
@@ -12,8 +12,25 @@ test_that("read_urban_area", {
 
   # read data and check sf object
   test_sf <- read_urban_area()
+  expect_true(is(test_sf, "sf"))
+
+  # filter state code
+  test_sf <- read_urban_area(code_state = 33)
+  expect_true(is(test_sf, "sf"))
+  expect_true(33 %in% unique(test_sf$code_state))
+
+  test_sf <- read_urban_area(code_state = c(33, 35))
+  expect_true(is(test_sf, "sf"))
+  expect_true(all(c(33, 35) %in% unique(test_sf$code_state)))
+
+  # filter state abbrev
+  test_sf <- read_urban_area(code_state = 'RJ')
+  expect_true(is(test_sf, "sf"))
+  expect_true('RJ' %in% unique(test_sf$abbrev_state))
 
+  test_sf <- read_urban_area(code_state = c('RJ', 'SP'))
   expect_true(is(test_sf, "sf"))
+  expect_true(all(c('RJ', 'SP') %in% unique(test_sf$abbrev_state)))
 
 })
 
@@ -25,4 +42,9 @@ test_that("read_urban_area", {
   # Wrong year
   expect_error(read_urban_area(year=9999999))
 
+  # filter state
+  expect_error(read_urban_area(code_state = c('RJ', 33)))
+  expect_error(read_urban_area(code_state = 'banana'))
+  expect_error(read_urban_area(code_state = 999999999))
+
 })