Prostitution laws vary from state to state and legislatures sometimes amend those laws from year to year. If you see any outdated information in this list of prostitution laws by state, please contact DSW using our contact form and provide updated information. We want to acknowledge Allen Lichtenstein, an experienced attorney in Las Vegas, for compiling the U.S. prostitution laws for all 50 states.
Prostitution laws for all 50 states
Each state on this interactive map links to page where you will find the specific regulations, penalties, and related statutes for that state. Click on a state to see its prostitution laws.
Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington D.C. · Washington State · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming
Prostitution Law FAQ
Updated September 3rd, 2023 to reflect 1 permanent brothel closure and 1 temporary brothel closure.
Where is prostitution legal in the US?
Prostitution is illegal in every state except Nevada where 19 legal brothels currently operate in 6 of state's the 17 counties.
Is prostitution legal in the US?
Prostitution laws in the United States are determined by individual states. Nevada is the only state with sex work laws that make prostitution legal in the US.
States with legal prostitution in America
Nevada is the only US state with laws that allow legal prostitution in America. Prostitution is legal in 19 active brothels in 6 of Nevada's 17 counties.
States where prostitution is legal
While heavily regulated, prostitution is legal in 10 of the 17 counties in Nevada, making Nevada the only one of the 50 US states where prostitution is legal.
What states is prostitution legal?
State laws make prostitution legal in only one of the 50 states in America. The laws of Nevada make prostitution legal in 19 brothels doing business in just 6 of the state's 17 counties.
What states have legal brothels in the USA?
Currently, the only state to have legal brothels in the USA is Nevada. At this time, 6 counties in Nevada have at least 1 of the 19 legal brothels in the state.
Are brothels legal in the US?
Brothels are legal in the US in states where prostitution is legal. There are currently 10 counties in Nevada where state prostitution laws permit brothels. There are legal brothels operating in just 6 of those 10 counties at the moment.
How many legal brothels are in the US?
There are 19 legal brothels in the US operating within just 6 of the 17 counties in Nevada. There are currently no other legal brothels in the United States.
The future of legal prostitution in the USA
Prostitution laws in each state can change yearly depending on the actions of state legislators. That means where prostitution is legal in the U.S.can change if new laws are passed by federal or state legislators.
Some proposed laws that could impact where prostitution is legal in the USA
DSW has compiled these detailed explanations of proposed laws related to prostitution that are currently being considered in the USA: