Is prostitution legal in Brazil?

Decriminalized / unregulated

Selling sex is not criminal in Brazil, but operating brothels or employing sex workers is illegal.

Brazil is one of 38 countries classified “Decriminalized / unregulated” for sex work — 17% of the 219 with data. (Also searched as prostitution.)

Source

Taken from
Wikipedia: Prostitution in the Americas
Last checked
17 September 2026
How it was classified
Classified by a language model from the source text, then checked against hand-verified reference countries.

Nearby countries

Bolivia
Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal and regulated in Bolivia, restricted to registered prostitutes in licensed brothels.
Suriname
Illegal Prostitution is a criminal offense in Suriname, despite being widespread and rarely enforced.
Paraguay
Decriminalized / unregulated Selling sex is legal for adults, but related activities like brothel keeping are prohibited.
Guyana
Illegal Prostitution is a criminal offense in Guyana, though enforcement is inconsistent.
Peru
Legal & regulated Sex work is legal and regulated, requiring registration and health certificates.
Venezuela
Legal & regulated Sex work is legal and regulated, requiring identification and health checkups.

Other laws in Brazil

Same-Sex Marriage
Marriage legal
Same-Sex Activity
Legal
Age of Consent
14–15
Divorce
Legal
Non-Binary Recognition
Limited recognition
Same-Sex Adoption
Joint adoption legal
Incest Laws
Legal between adults
Marriage Age
18+

Every law in Brazil → · Where is sex work legal? →

A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.