Is prostitution legal in North Dakota?
North Dakota prostitution laws make it a crime for an individual to hire, offer, or agree to hire an individual for the purposes of engaging in a sexual act.
Prostitution Laws of North Dakota
- 12.1-29-01: Promoting prostitution
- 12.1-29-02: Facilitating prostitution
- 12.1-29-03: Prostitution
- 12.1-29-04: Testimony of spouse in prostitution offenses
- 12.1-29-05: Definitions
- 12.1-29-06: Hiring an individual to engage in sexual activity
12.1-29-01: Promoting prostitution
1. A person is guilty of an offense if he:
a. Operates a prostitution business or a house of prostitution;
b. Induces or otherwise intentionally causes another to become engaged in sexual activity as a business; or
c. Knowingly procures a prostitute for a prostitution business or a house of prostitution.
2. The offense is a class C felony if it is under subdivision b or c of subsection 1 or if it is under subdivision a and the actor owns, controls, manages, or otherwise supervises the prostitution business or house of prostitution. Otherwise the offense is a class A misdemeanor.
12.1-29-02: Facilitating prostitution
1. A person is guilty of an offense if he:
a. Knowingly solicits a person to patronize a prostitute;
b. Knowingly procures a prostitute for a patron;
c. Knowingly leases or otherwise permits a place controlled by the actor, alone or in association with others, to be regularly used for prostitution, promoting prostitution, or facilitating prostitution, or fails to make reasonable effort to abate such use by ejecting the tenant, notifying law enforcement authorities, or taking other legally available means; or
d. Knowingly induces or otherwise intentionally causes anotherto remain a prostitute. A person who is supported in whole or substantial part by the proceeds of prostitution, other than the prostitute or the prostitute's minor child or a person whom the prostitute is required by law to support, is presumed to be knowingly inducing or intentionally causing another to remain a prostitute.
2. The offense is a class C felony if the actor intentionally causes another to remain a prostitute by force or threat, or the prostitute is the actor's spouse, child, or ward, or a person for whose care, protection, or support he is responsible, or the prostitute is, in fact, less than sixteen years old. Otherwise it is a class A misdemeanor.
12.1-29-03: Prostitution
An individual is guilty of prostitution, a class B misdemeanor, if the individual:
1. Is an inmate of a house of prostitution or is otherwise engaged in sexual activity as a business;
2. Solicits another person with the intention of being hired to engage in sexual activity; or 3. Agrees to engage in sexual activity with another for money or other items of pecuniary value.
12.1-29-04: Testimony of spouse in prostitution offenses
Testimony of a person against his or her spouse shall be admissible to prove offenses under this chapter involving that spouse's prostitution.
12.1-29-05: Definitions
In this chapter:
1. A "house of prostitution" is any place where prostitution is regularly carried on by a person under the control, management, or supervision of another.
2. An "inmate" is a prostitute who acts as such in or through the agency of a house of prostitution.
3. A "prostitute" is a person who engages in sexual activity for hire.
4. A "prostitution business" is any business which derives funds from prostitution regularly carried on by a person under the control, management, or supervision of another.
5. "Sexual activity" means sexual act or sexual contact as those terms are defined in section 12.1-20-02.
12.1-29-06: Hiring an individual to engage in sexual activity
An individual who hires or offers or agrees to hire another individual with the intention of engaging in sexual activity is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.