Prostitution and Solicitation Laws by State (2026)
How each state charges prostitution and solicitation and the maximum penalties, from each state criminal code.
| State | Prostitution and solicitation |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Alabama makes it illegal to commit prostitution (a sexual act or contact for money or anything of value), to solicit or pay someone for sex, to agree to and pay for sex, or to promote prostitution (procuring patrons, providing premises, sharing in proceeds, running a house of prostitution). Each violation is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine up to $6,000. Prostitution-related offenses involving a minor are a Class B felony (2 to 20 years). No form of prostitution is legal in Alabama. Ala. Code §§ 13A-12-120, 13A-12-121, 13A-12-121.1, 13A-12-122, 13A-5-6, 13A-5-7 |
| Alaska | Prostitution covers both selling and buying: engaging in or agreeing or offering to engage in sexual conduct for a fee, or offering a fee for sexual conduct. It is a Class B misdemeanor (up to 90 days in jail and a fine up to $2,000). A person who reported in good faith to law enforcement certain serious crimes (such as murder, assault, sexual assault, robbery or sex trafficking) that they witnessed or suffered, and who cooperated, may not be prosecuted for selling sex based on evidence found through that report. Inducing or causing someone to engage in prostitution is sex trafficking, a felony; using force, or involving a person under 20, is sex trafficking in the first degree (a Class A felony, or an unclassified felony when the person is under 20). AS 11.66.100, 11.66.110; AS 12.55.035, 12.55.125, 12.55.135 |
| Arizona | Arizona makes both selling and buying sex crimes. Selling (offering, agreeing to or receiving a fee for sexual conduct) is a class 1 misdemeanor with mandatory consecutive jail of at least 15 days for a first conviction, 30 days for a second and 60 days for a third; a fourth or later conviction is a class 5 felony with at least 180 days. Buying (offering, agreeing to or paying a fee for sexual conduct) is a class 6 felony, with the same mandatory jail minimums, and a fourth or later conviction is a class 4 felony with at least 180 days. It is an affirmative defense to the selling charge that the person acted as a direct result of being a sex-trafficking victim. A.R.S. §§ 13-3214, 13-3211 |
| Arkansas | Prostitution (engaging, agreeing or offering to engage in sexual activity for a fee) is a Class B misdemeanor (up to 90 days) for a first offense and a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year) for a second or subsequent offense; a person convicted of paying or offering to pay must also pay a fine of $1,000 (Class B) or $2,500 (Class A). Buying sex is also charged as sexual solicitation, an unclassified misdemeanor punishable on a first offense by up to 90 days and a fine up to $2,000, and in the code text read, a second or subsequent offense by up to 1 year and a fine up to $3,500; for offenses on or after August 5, 2025, a second or later sexual-solicitation offense is a Class D felony (up to 6 years). Promoting prostitution in the first degree is a Class D felony, or a Class B felony (5 to 20 years) when the victim is a minor (offenses on or after January 1, 2024). Ark. Code §§ 5-70-102(a), (b), (e); 5-70-103(a), (b); 5-70-104; 5-4-401; 5-4-201 |
| California | Prostitution in California (Penal Code § 647(b)) covers engaging in sexual intercourse or a lewd act with someone in exchange for money or other compensation, agreeing to do so, and soliciting someone to do so; both the prostitute and the customer are engaged in prostitution. It is disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, generally punishable by up to 6 months in county jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000. An adult who solicits a minor (knowing or when they should have known the person was a minor) faces 2 days to 1 year in county jail and/or a fine of up to $10,000; if the minor was under 16, was a trafficking victim, or was more than 3 years younger than the adult, it can also be punished as a felony of 16 months, 2 or 3 years, and a repeat violation of that kind is a felony. Minors themselves are not prosecuted for prostitution. Pimping and pandering are felonies (3, 4 or 6 years when the person is an adult or a minor 16 or older). Cal. Pen. Code §§ 647(b), (l), 19, 266h, 266i; CALCRIM Nos. 1153, 1154 |
| Colorado | Prostitution (performing or offering or agreeing to perform a sex act with someone other than a spouse for money or anything of value) is a petty offense in Colorado (up to 10 days and $300). Buying sex is also a petty offense: soliciting for prostitution and patronizing a prostitute, and a court may add a fine of up to $5,000 that goes to a prostitution enforcement fund. Pandering by menacing or intimidation is a class 5 felony. Being a victim of human trafficking is an affirmative defense to a prostitution charge for offenses on or after July 1, 2015. Colorado has no legal prostitution. C.R.S. §§ 18-7-201, 18-7-201.3, 18-7-202, 18-7-203, 18-7-205 |
| Connecticut | Prostitution (a person 18 or older engaging, agreeing or offering to engage in sexual conduct for a fee) is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $2,000 fine; being a victim of human trafficking is an affirmative defense. Buying sex is charged as soliciting sexual acts, also a Class A misdemeanor, and the statute requires a fine of $2,000. Connecticut has no legal exception for prostitution. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 53a-82, 53a-83, 53a-36, 53a-42 |
| Delaware | Prostitution (a person 18 or older engaging, agreeing or offering to engage in sexual conduct for a fee) is a class B misdemeanor (up to 6 months and $1,150); it is a class A misdemeanor with a mandatory $500 minimum fine if it occurs on or within 1,000 feet of a school, residence, church, synagogue or other place of worship. Buying sex is called patronizing a prostitute; it is a misdemeanor (the section heading lists class A misdemeanor) with a mandatory minimum fine of $500, and a class E felony if the person sought is an exploited minor. A vehicle used in patronizing may be seized for a person with a prior conviction for the same offense within 5 years. Delaware has no legal exception for prostitution. 11 Del. C. §§ 1342, 1343, 4206 |
| District of Columbia | Engaging in prostitution or soliciting for prostitution is illegal in D.C. 'Prostitution' is defined as a sexual act or contact in return for giving or receiving anything of value, so both the seller and the buyer are covered. The penalty is up to 90 days and a fine for a first offense, up to 180 days and a fine for a second offense, and up to 2 years and a fine with two or more prior convictions. Children under 18 are immune from prosecution and are referred to services for trafficking victims. D.C. Code §§ 22-2701, 22-2701.01, 22-3571.01 |
| Florida | Prostitution (giving or receiving the body for sexual activity for hire) is illegal in Florida, and the same statute covers buying sex ('to purchase the services of any person engaged in prostitution') and related acts. Most violations, including a person 18 or older offering or engaging in prostitution, are a second-degree misdemeanor for a first violation, a first-degree misdemeanor for a second, and a third-degree felony for a third or later violation. Soliciting, inducing or enticing another to commit prostitution is punished more harshly: a first-degree misdemeanor for a first violation, a third-degree felony for a second, and a second-degree felony for a third or later; it also requires 100 hours of community service, an educational program where available, a minimum of 10 days in jail for a second or later violation, and possible vehicle impoundment for up to 60 days. Florida has no legal exception for prostitution. Fla. Stat. § 796.07(1)(d), (2), (4), (5); Fla. Stat. §§ 775.082, 775.083 |
| Georgia | Prostitution (a person 18 or older performing, offering or agreeing to perform a sexual act for money or other things of value) is a misdemeanor (up to $1,000.00 and up to 12 months in jail (§ 17-10-3)). Buying is charged as pandering: soliciting 'a person to perform an act of prostitution' for oneself or a third person; a first offense is a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature (up to $5,000.00 and up to 12 months in jail (§ 17-10-4), all but 72 hours suspendable), and a second or later offense is a felony of one to ten years. Pandering involving a person under 18 is a felony punished by ten to 30 years and a fine of up to $100,000.00. An extra $2,500.00 fine applies when these offenses happen within 1,000 feet of a school, place of worship, or a playground or recreation center used mainly by people under 17, and the clerk publishes a notice of a pandering conviction with the person's arrest photo. O.C.G.A. §§ 16-6-9; 16-6-12; 16-6-13 |
| Hawaii | Selling sex (engaging in, agreeing or offering to engage in sexual conduct for a fee or anything of value) is prostitution, a petty misdemeanor; a first offense carries a fine of $500 to $1,000 and up to 30 days or probation, and a later offense requires the fine plus 30 days or probation with no deferral. If the person is a minor, it is only a violation, handled through family court. Buying sex is a separate offense, commercial sexual exploitation, also a petty misdemeanor with a $500 to $1,000 fine and up to 30 days; it is a class C felony if the buyer acts in reckless disregard that the person is a sex-trafficking victim, and a misdemeanor if committed within 750 feet of a school or public park. People who in good faith seek medical or police help cannot be prosecuted for prostitution based on evidence gained from that call. HRS §§ 712-1200, 712-1200.5, 712-1209 |
| Idaho | Selling sex is called "providing commercial sexual activity" in Idaho: engaging in, offering or agreeing to sexual contact for a fee, or loitering in public to be hired for it. It is a misdemeanor, but a third or later conviction is a felony; being a victim of human trafficking is an affirmative defense, and the section does not apply to children. Buying sex is "soliciting commercial sexual activity": a misdemeanor with a mandatory minimum of five (5) days in county jail (which the court cannot suspend or withhold) and up to one (1) year in jail or a fine up to $2,000, or both; a second or later conviction is a felony. No statute reviewed makes prostitution legal anywhere in Idaho. Idaho Code §§ 18-5613, 18-5614 (both as amended 2024) |
| Illinois | Prostitution (performing, offering or agreeing to perform a sex act for anything of value) is a Class A misdemeanor; being a victim of trafficking is an affirmative defense, and anyone under 18 is immune from prosecution and treated as a possible abuse victim. Offering money or anything of value for a sex act, called solicitation of a sexual act, is also a Class A misdemeanor, but a Class 4 felony if the person solicited is under 18 or has a severe or profound intellectual disability. Actually engaging in a sex act with a person in the sex trade, called patronizing a person engaged in the sex trade, is a Class 4 felony (Class 3 within 1,000 feet of a school, or on a second or later sex-trade conviction). Prostitution is not legal anywhere in Illinois. 720 ILCS 5/11-14, 11-14.1, 11-18 |
| Indiana | Prostitution is a person 18 or older knowingly or intentionally performing, offering or agreeing to perform sexual intercourse or other sexual conduct, or fondling genitals, for money or other property. It is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year and $5,000), and a Level 6 felony if the person has two prior prostitution convictions; being a victim of human trafficking is a defense. Paying or offering to pay for sex is called making an unlawful proposition: also a Class A misdemeanor, and a Level 6 felony with two prior convictions under that section; it is no defense that the other person was an undercover officer. Prostitution is not legal anywhere in Indiana. Ind. Code §§ 35-45-4-2, 35-45-4-3 (IPAC compilation, Indiana Code 2022) |
| Iowa | Selling or offering to sell one's services as a partner in a sex act is prostitution, an aggravated misdemeanor (up to two years); for a person under 18 the county attorney may instead refer the case for a child-in-need-of-assistance petition. Buying or offering to buy sex is also an aggravated misdemeanor, but it is a class "D" felony (up to five years) if the person sold is under 18 or reasonably believed to be under 18, including an officer posing as a minor. Prostitution is not legal anywhere in Iowa. Iowa Code § 725.1 (am. 2025) (Iowa Code 2026) |
| Kansas | Selling sexual relations (performing, offering or agreeing to perform sex acts for hire) is a class B nonperson misdemeanor, and being a victim of human trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation of a child is an affirmative defense. Buying sexual relations from a person 18 or older is a class A person misdemeanor, and a severity level 9, person felony for a person with a prior conviction; anyone convicted must also pay a fine of not less than $1,200 nor more than $5,000. A person may enter diversion for buying sexual relations only once in a lifetime. Prostitution is not legal anywhere in Kansas. K.S.A. 21-6419, 21-6421 |
| Kentucky | Prostitution is engaging in, or agreeing or offering to engage in, sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee; it is a Class B misdemeanor (up to 90 days). Loitering in a public place for prostitution is a violation (fine only) for a first offense and a Class B misdemeanor for a second or later offense. A person under 18 suspected of prostitution may not be prosecuted for it and is instead referred to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Prostitution is not legal anywhere in Kentucky. KRS 529.020, 529.080, 529.120 |
| Louisiana | Prostitution is engaging in indiscriminate sexual intercourse for compensation, or soliciting someone to do so. A first offense is punishable by a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for not more than six months, or both; a second conviction by a fine of $250 to $2,000, up to two years, or both; and a third or later conviction by up to four years and a fine of $500 to $4,000. Buying sex is a separate crime, purchase of commercial sexual activity: a fine of not more than $1,000, up to one year, or both, plus the Buyer Beware Program; a second conviction carries six months to two years (at least six months without probation, parole or suspension). Either offense involving a minor under eighteen carries fifteen to fifty years at hard labor. A child engaged in prostitution is presumed to be a trafficking victim and is exempt from prosecution. La. R.S. 14:82(A), (C), (G); R.S. 14:82.2(C), (D) |
| Maine | Maine repealed the crime of engaging in prostitution (selling sex) in 2023 (17-A M.R.S. § 853-A, repealed by P.L. 2023, c. 316). Buying sex remains a crime called engaging a person for prostitution: providing or offering a pecuniary benefit in return for a sexual act or sexual contact. It is a Class E crime (up to 6 months and $1,000), and a Class D crime (less than one year and up to $2,000) if the person has a prior conviction for the same offense within the previous 2 years. 17-A M.R.S. §§ 851(1-A), 853-A, 853-B, 1604(1), 1704 |
| Maryland | Knowingly engaging in prostitution, or occupying a building or vehicle for prostitution, is a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment not exceeding 1 year, a fine not exceeding $500, or both. Buying sex is covered by a separate crime: knowingly procuring or soliciting (or offering to procure or solicit) prostitution, a misdemeanor with the same maximum of 1 year, $500, or both. For both offenses, being a victim of human trafficking is an affirmative defense of duress if the defendant notifies the State's Attorney at least 10 days before trial. Md. Code, Crim. Law §§ 11-303, 11-306 |
| Massachusetts | Prostitution is called engaging in sexual conduct for a fee. Engaging, agreeing or offering to engage in sexual conduct in return for a fee is punishable by up to 1 year in a house of correction, a fine of not more than $500, or both. Buying sex (paying, agreeing or offering to pay someone for sexual conduct) is punished more severely: up to 2 and one-half years in a house of correction, a fine of $1,000 to $5,000, or both. Paying or offering to pay for sexual conduct with a child under 18 is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in state prison (or up to 2 and one-half years in a house of correction) and a fine of $3,000 to $10,000, and the case may not be continued without a finding or placed on file. M.G.L. c. 272, § 53A |
| Michigan | Soliciting, accosting or inviting someone in public (by a person 16 or older) to commit prostitution, and engaging or offering to pay for the services of a prostitute (buying sex), are both punished under the same penalty section: a first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days, a fine of up to $500, or both; with 1 prior conviction, up to 1 year and $1,000; with 2 or more prior convictions, a felony punishable by up to 2 years and $2,000. Paying for sex with a person under 18 is a felony punishable by up to 5 years and $10,000. A person under 18 charged with a prostitution offense is presumed to have been coerced by a human trafficker. MCL 750.448; MCL 750.449a; MCL 750.451(1)-(4), (6) |
| Minnesota | Selling sex (engaging in, or agreeing or offering to be hired for, prostitution with an adult) is a misdemeanor (up to 90 days and $1,000), a gross misdemeanor if within two years of a prior prostitution conviction, and a gross misdemeanor if it happens in a public place. Buying sex from an adult (a patron hiring, offering or agreeing to hire someone for sexual penetration or contact) is a gross misdemeanor (up to 364 days and $3,000) with a minimum fine of $1,500, and a felony punishable by up to five years and $10,000 if within ten years of a prior conviction. Buying sex from a minor is a felony punishable by up to five, ten or 20 years depending on the minor's age (16-17, 14-15, or under 14). Minn. Stat. § 609.324, subds. 1, 2, 6, 7; § 609.03 |
| Mississippi | Prostitution, by a person 18 or older who knowingly performs or offers or agrees to perform sexual intercourse or sexual conduct for money or property, is a misdemeanor punished by a fine of not more than $200, up to six months in county jail, or both (§ 97-29-49); a minor suspected of prostitution may be taken into emergency custody, and a human trafficking victim is immune from prosecution for prostitution. Paying or offering to pay for sex (procuring the services of a prostitute) is a misdemeanor with the same penalty for a first offense, and a second or later violation is a felony with up to $1,000 and/or two years (§ 97-29-51(1)). Promoting prostitution (pimping) is a felony with up to ten years, and five to 30 years if the person prostituted is under 18 (§ 97-29-51(2)). No legal exception is stated. Miss. Code Ann. §§ 97-29-49, 97-29-51 |
| Missouri | Prostitution (engaging in, offering or agreeing to engage in sexual conduct for something of value) is a class B misdemeanor (up to 6 months), but a class B felony (5 to 15 years) if the person knew beforehand that he or she had HIV; a person under 18 cannot be charged and is treated as an abuse victim (§ 567.020). Buying sex, called patronizing prostitution, is a class E felony (up to 4 years); it is a class D felony if the person patronized is under 18 but older than 15, and a class B felony if the person is fifteen or younger (§ 567.030, version effective August 28, 2026). A judge may order drug and alcohol treatment for someone found guilty of prostitution and, for the misdemeanor, may allow the guilty plea to be withdrawn after successful completion. RSMo §§ 567.020, 567.030; §§ 558.002, 558.011 |
| Montana | Prostitution is engaging in, agreeing or offering to engage in sexual activity for compensation; a prostitute may be convicted only for sexual intercourse for compensation and faces a fine up to $500, up to 6 months in county jail, or both. A patron (buyer) faces up to $5,000 and up to 5 years for a first offense, and up to $10,000 and 10 years for a second or subsequent offense. An adult patron of a child (or of someone the patron believed was a child, such as an undercover officer) must be sentenced to 100 years in state prison, with the first 25 years not suspendable and without parole except as § 46-18-222 provides (§ 45-5-601). The registration law lists § 45-5-601(2)(b) and (3) (patronizing) as a 'sexual offense' (§ 46-23-502(10)). MCA §§ 45-5-601, 46-23-502(10) |
| Nebraska | Prostitution (performing, offering or agreeing to perform sexual contact or penetration with someone other than a spouse for money or something of value) is a Class II misdemeanor for a first or second conviction and a Class I misdemeanor with two or more prior convictions; probation must include a mental health and substance abuse assessment. Trafficking victims and people under 18 are immune from prosecution (§ 28-801). Buying sex, called solicitation of prostitution, is a Class I misdemeanor with a fine of at least $250 for a first offense, a Class IV felony with a fine of at least $500 for a repeat offense, and a Class IV felony if the person solicited is under 18 (§ 28-801.01). Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 28-801, 28-801.01; §§ 28-105, 28-106 |
| Nevada | Prostitution is legal in Nevada only in a licensed house of prostitution. A prostitute who engages in or solicits prostitution outside a licensed house commits a misdemeanor, may be offered diversion, and the charge must be dismissed if the prosecutor believes the person is a sex-trafficking victim (NRS 201.353). A customer who does so commits a misdemeanor with a fine of at least $400 for a first offense, a gross misdemeanor with a fine of at least $800 for a second and at least $1,300 for a third or later offense, plus a civil penalty of at least $200; soliciting a child (or an officer posing as one) is a category D felony for a first offense, rising to a category B felony (1 to 6 years) for a third (NRS 201.354). Brothels may not be licensed in a county whose population is 700,000 or more (NRS 244.345(8)), and no house of prostitution may be kept within 400 yards of a school or church (NRS 201.380). NRS 201.353, 201.354, 201.380, 244.345(8) |
| New Hampshire | Selling sex (soliciting, agreeing to perform or engaging in sexual contact or penetration for consideration), as well as inducing someone into prostitution, transporting someone for it, or living off its proceeds, is a misdemeanor; a person under 18 cannot be prosecuted, and being a trafficking victim is a defense (RSA 645:2, I, IV-V). Buying sex (paying, agreeing or offering to pay for sexual contact or penetration) is a class A misdemeanor (up to 1 year), and the court must also levy a $500 fine on each patron conviction (RSA 645:2, I-a, X). Buying sex or promoting prostitution is a class B felony if it involves someone under 18 or uses force or intimidation, and knowingly letting one's place be used for prostitution is a class B felony (class A if it involves a minor or force) (RSA 645:2, II-II-b). RSA 645:2; RSA 651:2 |
| New Jersey | Prostitution is illegal throughout New Jersey. Offering sexual activity in exchange for something of value (selling) is a disorderly persons offense, and a second or subsequent conviction is a crime of the fourth degree. Being a patron (buying) is a disorderly persons offense; a second or third conviction is a crime of the fourth degree and a fourth or later conviction is a crime of the third degree, and if a motor vehicle was used the court must suspend the driver's license for six months. Engaging in prostitution with a person under 18 is a crime of the second degree, and promoting prostitution ranges from fourth to first degree. Being a human-trafficking victim or compelled by another is an affirmative defense. Loitering to engage in prostitution is a separate disorderly persons offense. N.J.S. 2C:34-1; N.J.S. 2C:34-1.1 |
| New Mexico | Prostitution in New Mexico is knowingly engaging in or offering to engage in a sexual act for hire; it is a petty misdemeanor (up to six months in the county jail, a fine of up to $500, or both, § 31-19-1(B)) for a first conviction and a misdemeanor for a second or subsequent conviction (§ 30-9-2). Buying sex is called patronizing prostitutes: knowingly hiring or offering to hire a prostitute (or someone believed to be one), or entering or remaining in a place where prostitution is practiced intending to engage in a sexual act with a prostitute. It is likewise a petty misdemeanor, and a misdemeanor for a second or subsequent conviction (§ 30-9-3). NMSA 1978, §§ 30-9-2, 30-9-3; § 31-19-1 |
| New York | Prostitution — engaging, agreeing or offering to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee — is a class B misdemeanor (up to three months and a fine up to $500). Buying sex is called patronizing a person for prostitution; the basic offense, patronizing in the third degree, is a class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days in jail and a fine up to $1,000). Higher degrees apply when the person patronized is a minor. There is no legal exception anywhere in the state. N.Y. Penal Law §§ 230.00, 230.04, 70.15, 80.05 |
| North Carolina | Prostitution is illegal throughout North Carolina. Willfully engaging in prostitution is a Class 1 misdemeanor (1-45 days with no priors, up to 1-120 days with five or more priors); a first offender may receive a 12-month conditional discharge with counseling and testing conditions. Soliciting another for prostitution (the buyer side) is a Class I felony for a first offense and a Class H felony for a second or later offense (Class G felony if an adult solicits a minor). Patronizing a prostitute is a Class A1 misdemeanor for a first violation and a Class G felony for a second or later violation, and a Class F felony if the defendant is 18 or older and the prostitute is a minor. N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-204, 14-205.1, 14-205.2 |
| North Dakota | Prostitution is illegal throughout North Dakota. An adult who engages in sexual activity as a business, solicits to be hired for sexual activity, or agrees to engage in sexual activity for money is guilty of prostitution, a class B misdemeanor (up to 30 days, a $1,500 fine, or both). Hiring, or offering or agreeing to hire, someone for sexual activity is a class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a class A misdemeanor (up to 360 days in jail, a $3,000 fine, or both) for a second or later offense within ten years, and the sentence may include an offender education program. Promoting or facilitating prostitution is a class A misdemeanor up to a class A felony. N.D.C.C. §§ 12.1-29-03, 12.1-29-06, 12.1-29-07, 12.1-29-01, 12.1-29-02 |
| Ohio | Prostitution is illegal throughout Ohio. Engaging in sexual activity for hire is prostitution, a misdemeanor of the third degree (up to 60 days and a $500 fine), and knowingly soliciting someone to engage in sexual activity for hire in exchange for receiving something of value ('soliciting') is also a third-degree misdemeanor. Buying sex — recklessly inducing, enticing or procuring another to engage in sexual activity for hire in exchange for giving something of value — is 'engaging in prostitution,' a misdemeanor of the first degree (up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine) with a fine of up to $1,500 and a required education or treatment program; it is a felony of the third degree if the other person has a developmental disability. Engaging in prostitution or soliciting after a positive HIV test is a felony of the third degree. R.C. 2907.25, 2907.24, 2907.231; R.C. 2929.14, 2929.18, 2929.24, 2929.28 |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma prohibits engaging in prostitution, offering or agreeing to pay for sex (buying), soliciting, and running or renting a place for prostitution. Under the penalty section, engaging in or soliciting prostitution is a misdemeanor punishable by thirty (30) days to one (1) year in county jail or fines of not more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for a first conviction, Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) for a second and Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00) for a third or later, or both. Paying or offering to pay for sex is a Class B4 felony punishable under the sex-review statute by up to three (3) years in prison and fines of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) to Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) depending on the number of convictions. Prostitution within one thousand (1,000) feet of a school or church is a Class D1 felony, and any of these acts involving a person under eighteen (18) is a Class B1 felony treated as child sex trafficking. 21 O.S. §§ 1029(A)-(B), 1031(A), (C)-(E), 1040.57(B)(1) |
| Oregon | In Oregon, engaging in or offering or agreeing to engage in sexual conduct or sexual contact for a fee is prostitution, a Class A misdemeanor (up to 364 days in jail and a fine up to $6,250). It is an affirmative defense that the person was a victim of human trafficking. Paying or offering or agreeing to pay a fee for sexual conduct or contact (buying) is the separate crime of commercial sexual solicitation, also a Class A misdemeanor. Promoting prostitution (running a place of prostitution or profiting from it) is a separate, more serious crime. ORS 167.007, 167.008, 167.012; 161.615, 161.635 |
| Pennsylvania | In Pennsylvania an adult commits prostitution by engaging in sexual activity as a business or loitering in public to be hired for sexual activity; it is a misdemeanor of the third degree (up to 1 year). Buying sex is the separate offense of patronizing prostitution (hiring anyone to engage in sexual activity): a misdemeanor of the third degree for a first offense, a misdemeanor of the first degree for a second, and a felony of the third degree for a third or later offense, with mandatory fines of at least $2,500 for a first offense, $5,000 to $25,000 for a second, and $10,000 to $50,000 for a third or later (or if the victim was a minor). Promoting prostitution is a separate, more serious offense. 18 Pa.C.S. §§ 5902(a), (a.1); 3027; 3028; §§ 1103, 1104 |
| Rhode Island | In Rhode Island, engaging in, agreeing to or offering sexual conduct for a fee is prostitution, a misdemeanor punishable by up to six (6) months in prison and/or a fine of $250 to $1,000; a subsequent offense carries up to one year and/or a fine of $500 to $1,000. Being forced into commercial sex by threats, restraint or similar coercion is an affirmative defense. Paying or agreeing to pay for sexual conduct (buying) is procurement of sexual conduct for a fee, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year and/or a fine of $250 to $1,000 ($500 to $1,000 for a subsequent offense). R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 11-34.1-2, 11-34.1-3 |
| South Carolina | Engaging in prostitution in South Carolina is a misdemeanor tried in magistrates court: a first offense carries a fine of not more than two hundred dollars or up to thirty days; a second, up to five hundred dollars and/or sixty days; a third or later, up to three thousand dollars and/or one year. Being coerced or a trafficking victim is an affirmative defense, and people under eighteen are immune from prosecution. Buying sex (soliciting or offering money to a prostituted person) is punished more harshly: a misdemeanor with a fine of at least two thousand dollars and up to two years for a first offense, at least three thousand dollars and up to three years for a second, and five to ten thousand dollars and up to five years for a third or later. S.C. Code §§ 16-15-90, 16-15-110 |
| South Dakota | In South Dakota, a person 18 or older who engages in or offers to engage in sexual activity for a fee is guilty of prostitution, a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to one year and/or $2,000); compulsion is an affirmative defense. Hiring or attempting to hire someone for sexual activity (buying) is also a Class 1 misdemeanor, but becomes a Class 6 felony (up to two years) if the person has a conviction or guilty plea for hiring or for promoting prostitution within the previous ten years. Promoting prostitution is a separate felony. SDCL 22-23-1, 22-23-1.2, 22-23-2, 22-23-9, 22-6-1, 22-6-2 |
| Tennessee | Selling sex (prostitution) is a Class B misdemeanor (up to 6 months and/or $500), or a Class A misdemeanor within 100 feet of a church or within 1.5 miles of a school, where a conviction also requires at least 7 days of incarceration and a fine of at least $1,000. Buying sex, called patronizing prostitution, is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 11 months 29 days and/or $2,500), with the same 7-day and $1,000 minimums near a school. Patronizing prostitution from a minor, an intellectually disabled person, or a law enforcement officer posing as a minor is punished as trafficking for a commercial sex act (a Class B felony). A person under 18 is immune from prosecution for prostitution as a juvenile or as an adult. Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 39-13-513(a), (b), (d); 39-13-514(a), (b); 39-13-309; 40-35-111 |
| Texas | Selling sex (offering or agreeing to receive a fee for sexual conduct) is prostitution, a Class B misdemeanor; it becomes a Class A misdemeanor with one or two prior convictions and a state jail felony with three or more. Engaging in it because one was a victim of trafficking or compelled prostitution is a defense. Buying sex is a separate, more serious crime called solicitation of prostitution: a state jail felony (180 days to two years) for a first offense, a third-degree felony with a prior conviction, and a second-degree felony if the other person is (or is represented or believed to be) under 18; the punishment goes up one level on or near school premises or school events. Tex. Penal Code §§ 43.02(a), (c)-(d); 43.021(a)-(b-1); 12.22; 12.35 |
| Utah | Selling sex (engaging in sexual activity for a fee) is engaging in prostitution, a class B misdemeanor, or a class A misdemeanor with a prior conviction; offering or arranging to sell sex is sexual solicitation, a class B misdemeanor for a first or second violation and class A after that. Buying sex from an adult (patronizing a prostituted individual, or soliciting by offering to pay) is a class A misdemeanor, and a third degree felony after two prior convictions (patronizing) or on a third violation (solicitation); the court must impose the maximum fine for patronizing and order an education program. A person who reports a violent or sex crime they witnessed or suffered at the time cannot be prosecuted for the prostitution offense, and children involved in commercial sex are referred for services rather than delinquency proceedings. Utah Code §§ 76-5d-202, 76-5d-203, 76-5d-209, 76-5d-210 (renumbered/enacted by 2025 Utah Laws ch. 173) |
| Vermont | Vermont's prostitution law makes it illegal to engage in prostitution, to procure or solicit someone for prostitution, to occupy or allow a place to be used for prostitution, or to aid or abet it. A violation is punishable by a fine of up to $100 or up to one year in jail (a misdemeanor); a second offense is punishable by up to three years (a felony). The statute does not set a separate, different penalty for buying sex. 13 V.S.A. §§ 2631, 2632 |
| Virginia | Prostitution, performing or offering (and then taking a substantial step toward) listed sexual acts for money, is a Class 1 misdemeanor (up to 12 months in jail and/or a $2,500 fine). Buying sex, called solicitation of prostitution, is also a Class 1 misdemeanor, but soliciting a minor is a felony: Class 6 if the minor is 16 or older, Class 5 if younger than 16. Va. Code §§ 18.2-346; 18.2-346.01; 18.2-10; 18.2-11 |
| Washington | Prostitution, a person 18 or older engaging in, agreeing to or offering sexual conduct for a fee, is a misdemeanor (up to 90 days and/or $1,000). Buying sex, called patronizing a prostitute (paying, agreeing to pay, or soliciting someone for sexual conduct for a fee), is also a misdemeanor, and it can be prosecuted where the message was sent or where it was received. RCW 9A.88.030; 9A.88.110; 9A.20.021(3) |
| West Virginia | Prostitution is illegal everywhere in West Virginia. Engaging in prostitution, lewdness or assignation, or soliciting, inducing, enticing or procuring another person to commit an act of prostitution (which covers buyers), is a misdemeanor: a first offense carries 60 days to six months in county jail and a fine of $50 to $100, and a second offense six months to one year in jail and a fine of $100 to $250. A third or later offense is punished by one to three years in a state correctional facility, but the statute says the repeat-offense penalties apply only to the pimp, panderer, solicitor, operator or anyone benefiting financially from a prostitute's earnings. Offering or securing another person for prostitution is punished by six months to one year in jail and a $100 to $250 fine for a first offense, and one to five years for a later offense. A minor who is a victim of human trafficking is not held criminally liable for prostitution. W. Va. Code § 61-8-5 |
| Wisconsin | Prostitution is illegal in Wisconsin. Intentionally having, offering, or requesting sexual intercourse or other sexual acts or contact for anything of value is a Class A misdemeanor (up to 9 months, up to $10,000, or both); because the statute covers someone who requests sex for something of value, it also reaches buyers. Patronizing, meaning entering or remaining in a place of prostitution intending sex with a prostitute, is a Class A misdemeanor for a first or second violation and a Class I felony (up to 3 years and 6 months, up to $10,000, or both) for a third or later violation. Soliciting or causing someone to practice prostitution (pimping) is a Class H felony, and a person under 18 may receive a consent decree or deferred prosecution instead. Wis. Stat. §§ 944.30, 944.31, 944.32, 939.50(3), 939.51(3)(a) |
| Wyoming | Prostitution is illegal in Wyoming. Knowingly or intentionally performing, or offering or agreeing to perform, a sexual act or sexual contact for money or other property is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six (6) months in jail, a fine of up to $750.00, or both. The buyer commits soliciting an act of prostitution, by paying or offering or agreeing to pay for a sexual act, with the same penalty. Promoting prostitution, including enticing or compelling someone to become a prostitute, procuring a person for prostitution, allowing a place to be used for prostitution, or living off a prostitute's earnings, is a felony punishable by up to three (3) years, a fine of up to $3,000.00, or both, rising to up to five (5) years and $5,000.00 when the person enticed or compelled is under 18. Each section excepts conduct covered by the human trafficking statutes (W.S. 6-2-701 through 6-2-710). W.S. 6-4-101, 6-4-102, 6-4-103 |
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.