Colorado Prostitution Laws

Prostitution is not legal in Colorado. Colorado prostitution laws make it a crime to exchange sexual favors or to solicit the purchase of sex.

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Prostitution Laws of Colorado

  • 18-7-201: Prostitution prohibited
  • 18-7-201.5: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome testing for persons convicted of prostitution
  • 18-7-201.7: Prostitution with knowledge of being infected with acquired immune deficiency syndrome
  • 18-7-202: Soliciting for prostitution
  • 18-7-203: Pandering
  • 18-7-204: Keeping a place of prostitution
  • 18-7-205: Patronizing a prostitute
  • 18-7-205.5: Acquired immune deficiency syndrome testing for persons convicted of patronizing a prostitute
  • 18-7-205.7: Patronizing a prostitute with knowledge of being infected with acquired immune deficiency syndrome
  • 18-7-206: Pimping
  • 18-7-207: Prostitute making display
  • 18-7-208: Promoting sexual immorality

 

Colorado Prostitution Laws

Expanded Colorado State Prostitution Laws

18-7-201: Prostitution prohibited

(1) Any person who performs or offers or agrees to perform any act of sexual intercourse,
fellatio, cunnilingus, masturbation, or anal intercourse with any person not his spouse in
exchange for money or other thing of value commits prostitution.

(2)

(a) “Fellatio”, as used in this section, means any act of oral stimulation of the penis.

(b) “Cunnilingus”, as used in this section, means any act of oral stimulation of the vulva
or clitoris.

(c) “Masturbation”, as used in this section, means stimulation of the genital organs by
manual or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse.

(d) “Anal intercourse”, as used in this section, means contact between human beings of
the genital organs of one and the anus of another.

(3) Prostitution is a petty offense

18-7-201.3: Affirmative defense – human trafficking – expungement of record protective order - definitions

(1) A person charged with prostitution, as described in section 18-7-201 or any corresponding
municipal code or ordinance, for an offense committed on or after July 1, 2015, which offense
was committed as a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking, may assert as an
affirmative defense that he or she is a victim of human trafficking as defined in subsection (4) of
this section. To assert the affirmative defense pursuant to this subsection (1), the person charged
with the offense must demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she was a
victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense. An official determination or
documentation is not required to assert an affirmative defense pursuant to this subsection (1), but
official documentation from a federal, state, local, or tribal government agency indicating that
the defendant was a victim at the time of the offense creates a presumption that his or her
participation in the offense was a direct result of being a victim.

(2)

(a) On or after January 1, 2016, a person charged with or convicted of prostitution, as
described in section 18-7-201, or any corresponding municipal code or ordinance, for an
offense committed before July 1, 2015, which offense was committed as a direct result of
being a victim of human trafficking, as defined in subsection (4) of this section, may
apply to the court for a sealing of his or her records pursuant to section 24-72-704 or
24-72-707, as applicable.

(b) Repealed.

(c) An official determination or documentation is not required to grant a motion pursuant
to this subsection (2), but official documentation from a federal, state, local, or tribal
government agency indicating that the defendant was a victim at the time of the offense
creates a presumption that his or her participation in the offense was a direct result of
being a victim.

(3) At the request of a person who asserted the affirmative defense pursuant to subsection (1) of
this section, the court may at any time issue a protective order concerning protecting the
confidentiality of the person asserting the affirmative defense.

(4) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) “Human trafficking” means an offense described in part 5 of article 3 of this title or
any conduct that, if it occurred prior to the enactment of such part 5, would constitute an
offense of human trafficking pursuant to part 5 of article 3 of this title.

(b) “Victim of human trafficking” means a “victim” as defined in section 18-3-502 (12).

Human Trafficking Laws of Colorado

18-7-201.4: Victim of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude – provision of services - reporting

If a law enforcement officer encounters a person who is under eighteen years of age and who is
engaging in any conduct that would be a violation of section 18-7-201, 18-7-202, 18-7-204, or
18-7-207 or a prostitution-related offense pursuant to a county or municipal ordinance and there
is probable cause to believe that the minor is a victim of human trafficking of a minor for sexual
servitude pursuant to section 18-3-504, the law enforcement officer or agency shall immediately
report a suspected violation of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to the
appropriate county department of human or social services or the child abuse reporting hotline
system created pursuant to section 26-5-111. The county department of human or social services
shall subsequently follow the reporting requirements set forth in section 19-3-308 (4)(c).

Solicitation Laws of Colorado

18-7-202: Soliciting for prostitution

(1) A person commits soliciting for prostitution if he:

(a) Solicits another for the purpose of prostitution; or

(b) Arranges or offers to arrange a meeting of persons for the purpose of prostitution; or

(c) Directs another to a place knowing such direction is for the purpose of prostitution.

(2) Soliciting for prostitution is a petty offense. A person who is convicted of soliciting for
prostitution may be required to pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars in addition to
any penalty imposed by the court pursuant to section 18-1.3-501, which additional fine shall be
transferred to the state treasurer, who shall transfer the same to the prostitution enforcement cash
fund created in section 24-33.5-513.

18-7-203: Pandering

(1) Any person who does any of the following for money or other thing of value commits
pandering:

(a) Inducing a person by menacing or criminal intimidation to commit prostitution; or

(b) Knowingly arranging or offering to arrange a situation in which a person may practice
prostitution.

(2)

(a) Pandering under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section is a class 5 felony. A
person who is convicted of pandering under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section
shall be required to pay a fine of not less than five thousand dollars and not more than ten
thousand dollars in addition to any penalty imposed by the court pursuant to section
18-1.3-401, which additional fine shall be transferred to the state treasurer, who shall
transfer the same to the prostitution enforcement cash fund created in section
24-33.5-513, C.R.S. (b) Pandering pursuant to subsection (1)(b) of this section is a class 2
misdemeanor. A person who is convicted of pandering shall be required to pay a fine of
not less than five thousand dollars and not more than ten thousand dollars in addition to
any penalty imposed by the court pursuant to section 18-1.3-501, which additional fine
shall be transferred to the state treasurer, who shall transfer the same to the prostitution
enforcement cash fund created in section 24-33.5-513.

Promoting Prostitution Laws of Colorado State

18-7-204: Keeping a place of prostitution

(1) Any person who has or exercises control over the use of any place which offers seclusion or
shelter for the practice of prostitution and who performs any one or more of the following
commits keeping a place of prostitution if he:

(a) Knowingly grants or permits the use of such place for the purpose of prostitution; or

(b) Permits the continued use of such place for the purpose of prostitution after becoming
aware of facts or circumstances from which he should reasonably know that the place is
being used for purposes of prostitution.

(2) Keeping a place of prostitution is a class 2 misdemeanor.

18-7-205: Patronizing a prostitute

(1) Any person who performs any of the following with a person not his spouse commits
patronizing a prostitute:

(a) Engages in an act of sexual intercourse or of deviate sexual conduct with a prostitute;
or

(b) Enters or remains in a place of prostitution with intent to engage in an act of sexual
intercourse or deviate sexual conduct.

(2) Patronizing a prostitute is a petty offense. A person who is convicted of patronizing a
prostitute may be required to pay a fine of not more than five thousand dollars in addition to any
penalty imposed by the court pursuant to section 18-1.3-401 or 18-1.3-503, which additional fine
shall be transferred to the state treasurer, who shall transfer the same to the prostitution
enforcement cash fund created in section 24-33.5-513.

18-7-206: Pimping

Any person who knowingly lives on or is supported or maintained in whole or in part by money
or other thing of value earned, received, procured, or realized by any other person through
prostitution commits pimping, which is a class 3 felony.

18-7-207: Prostitute making display

Any person who by word, gesture, or action endeavors to further the practice of prostitution in
any public place or within public view commits a petty offense.

Additional Prostitution Laws of Colorado

18-7-209: Immunity from prostitution-related offenses – victims – human trafficking of a minor for involuntary servitude – human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude

If probable cause exists to believe that a minor charged with a prostitution-related activity
pursuant to section 18-7-201, 18-7-202, 18-7-204, or 18-7-207 or a prostitution-related offense
pursuant to a county or municipal ordinance was a victim of human trafficking of a minor for
involuntary servitude, pursuant to section 18-3-503 (2), or human trafficking of a minor for
sexual servitude, pursuant to section 18-3-504 (2), at the time of the offense being charged, the
minor is immune from criminal liability or juvenile delinquency proceedings for such charges.

18-7-401: Definitions

As used in this part 4, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) “Anal intercourse” means contact between human beings of the genital organs of one
and the anus of another.

(2) “Child” means a person under the age of eighteen years.

(3) “Cunnilingus” means any act of oral stimulation of the vulva or clitoris.

(4) “Fellatio” means any act of oral stimulation of the penis.

(5) “Masturbation” means stimulation of the genital organs by manual or other bodily
contact, or by any object, exclusive of sexual intercourse.

(6) “Prostitution by a child” means either a child performing or offering or agreeing to
perform any act of sexual intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, masturbation, or anal
intercourse with any person not the child’s spouse in exchange for money or other thing
of value or any person performing or offering or agreeing to perform any act of sexual
intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, masturbation, or anal intercourse with any child not the
person’s spouse in exchange for money or other thing of value.

(7) “Prostitution of a child” means either inducing a child to perform or offer or agree to
perform any act of sexual intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, masturbation, or anal
intercourse with any person not the child’s spouse by coercion or by any threat or
intimidation or inducing a child, by coercion or by any threat or intimidation or in
exchange for money or other thing of value, to allow any person not the child’s spouse to
perform or offer or agree to perform any act of sexual intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus,
masturbation, or anal intercourse with or upon such child. Such coercion, threat, or
intimidation need not constitute an independent criminal offense and shall be determined
solely through its intended or its actual effect upon the child.

Child Prostitution Laws of Colorado

18-7-402: Soliciting for child prostitution

(1) A person commits soliciting for child prostitution if he:

(a) Solicits another for the purpose of prostitution of a child or by a child;

(b) Arranges or offers to arrange a meeting of persons for the purpose of prostitution of a
child or by a child; or

(c) Directs another to a place knowing such direction is for the purpose of prostitution of
a child or by a child.

(2) Soliciting for child prostitution is a class 3 felony.

18-7-403: Pandering of a child

(1) Any person who does any of the following for money or other thing of value commits
pandering of a child:

(a) Inducing a child by menacing or criminal intimidation to commit prostitution; or

(b) Knowingly arranging or offering to arrange a situation in which a child may practice
prostitution.

(2) Pandering under paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of this section is a class 2 felony. Pandering
under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section is a class 3 felony.

18-7-403.5: Procurement of a child

Any person who intentionally gives, transports, provides, or makes available, or who offers to
give, transport, provide, or make available, to another person a child for the purpose of
prostitution of the child commits procurement of a child, which is a class 3 felony.

18-7-404: Keeping a place of child prostitution

(1) Any person who has or exercises control over the use of any place which offers seclusion or
shelter for the practice of prostitution and who performs any one or more of the following
commits keeping a place of child prostitution if he:

(a) Knowingly grants or permits the use of such place for the purpose of prostitution of a
child or by a child; or

(b) Permits the continued use of such place for the purpose of prostitution of a child or by
a child after becoming aware of facts or circumstances from which he should reasonably
know that the place is being used for purposes of such prostitution.

(2) Keeping a place of child prostitution is a class 3 felony.

18-7-405: Pimping of a child

Any person who knowingly lives on or is supported or maintained in whole or in part by money
or other thing of value earned, received, procured, or realized by a child through prostitution
commits pimping of a child, which is a class 3 felony.

18-7-405.5: Inducement of a child prostitution

(1) Any person who by word or action, other than conduct specified in section 18-7-403 (1)(a),
induces a child to engage in an act which is prostitution by a child, as defined in section
18-7-401 (6), commits inducement of child prostitution.

(2) Inducement of child prostitution is a class 3 felony.

18-7-406: Patronizing a prostituted child

(1) Any person who performs any of the following with a child not his spouse commits
patronizing a prostituted child:

(a) Engages in an act which is prostitution of a child or by a child, as defined in section
18-7-401 (6) or (7); or

(b) Enters or remains in a place of prostitution with intent to engage in an act which is
prostitution of a child or by a child, as defined in section 18-7-401 (6) or (7).

(2) Patronizing a prostituted child is a class 3 felony.

18-7-407: Criminality of conduct

In any criminal prosecution under sections 18-7-402 to 18-7-407, it shall be no defense that the
defendant did not know the child’s age or that he reasonably believed the child to be eighteen
years of age or older.

18-7-408: Severability

If any provision of this part 4 or the application thereof to any person or circumstances is held
invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions of this part 4 which may be given effect
without the invalid provision or application, and, to this end, the provisions of this part 4 are
declared to be severable.

18-7-409: Reports of convictions to department of education

When a person is convicted, pleads nolo contendere, or receives a deferred sentence for a
violation of the provisions of this part 4 and the court knows the person is a current or former
employee of a school district in this state or holds a license or authorization pursuant to the
provisions of article 60.5 of title 22, C.R.S., the court shall report such fact to the department of
education.

Colorado State Prostitution Laws formatted as a downloadable PDF