A mobile terminal and method for controlling place recognition are provided. The method includes collecting at least one of state information about a mobile terminal and user information stored in the mobile terminal, determining whether a current place of the mobile terminal is a major place that the user has previously visited at least a number of times using the collected information, determining, if it is determined that the current place of the mobile terminal is a major place, whether the current place has been registered using at least one signal received externally, and outputting a result of the determination as to whether the current place has been registered.