Is prostitution legal in the United States?
Varies by region
Prostitution is illegal in every US state except parts of Nevada, where licensed brothels operate in some counties.
The United States is one of 9 countries classified “Varies by region” for sex work — 4% 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
- Checked by hand against the source.
State by state
- Alabama
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Alaska
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Arizona
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Arkansas
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- California
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Colorado
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Connecticut
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Delaware
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- District of Columbia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Florida
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Georgia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Hawaii
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Idaho
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Illinois
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Indiana
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Iowa
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Kansas
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Kentucky
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Louisiana
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Maine
- Buying illegal (Nordic model) Selling sex was decriminalized in 2023; buying sex remains a crime.
- Maryland
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Massachusetts
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Michigan
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Minnesota
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Mississippi
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Missouri
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Montana
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Nebraska
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Nevada
- Legal & regulated Prostitution is legal only inside licensed brothels in some rural counties; it is illegal in Las Vegas and Reno.
- New Hampshire
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- New Jersey
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- New Mexico
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- New York
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- North Carolina
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- North Dakota
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Ohio
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Oklahoma
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Oregon
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Pennsylvania
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Rhode Island
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- South Carolina
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- South Dakota
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Tennessee
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Texas
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Utah
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Vermont
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Virginia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Washington
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- West Virginia
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Wisconsin
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
- Wyoming
- Illegal Prostitution is illegal.
Nearby countries
- Bahamas
- Decriminalized / unregulated Selling sex is legal, but brothel keeping and solicitation are prohibited.
- Mexico
- Varies by region Prostitution laws differ by state, with some regulating and others prohibiting it.
- Canada
- Buying illegal (Nordic model) Buying sex is illegal under the Swedish approach, while selling is not criminalized.
- Cuba
- Legal & regulated Selling sex is a legal profession, though related activities may be regulated or repressed.
- Cayman Islands
- Legal & regulated Selling sex is legal, but brothel keeping is prohibited.
- Bermuda
- Decriminalized / unregulated Selling sex is legal, but related activities like running a brothel are illegal.
Other laws in United States
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Marriage legal
- Same-Sex Activity
- Legal
- Pornography
- Legal
- Divorce
- Legal
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Limited recognition
- Same-Sex Adoption
- Joint adoption legal
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+
Every law in the United States → · 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.