Escorts are legal in Las Vegas as long as there is no trading of sex for money. Paying for someone’s company is perfectly lawful, even if the escorts are scantily clad. However, escort services cross the line into prostitution (NRS 201.354) if there is an understanding that the payment is for sex, not merely company.
The Vegas Strip is full of flyers and ads on the sides of buses advertising escort services, where the women are wearing next to nothing. Everyone seems to know they are probably a front for prostitution.
Though unless police catch you trading money for sex — or offering to trade money for sex — then there are no grounds for arrest. That is why law enforcement engages in undercover stings.
Police often go undercover and answer an ad for an escort service. Then if the alleged escort talks about the price of sex, the police officer will arrest them. Likewise, police sometimes post fake ads for escort services. If an alleged customer responds to the ad asking for the price of sex, the police will arrest them.
What are the penalties?
If you are convicted of being a sex worker engaging in sex for money — or soliciting sex for money — you face a misdemeanor charge. The sentence is:
- fines of up to $1,000, and/or
- up to 6 months in jail
Jail is rare for a first-time offense. If you are a repeat offender, you are more likely to get sentenced to jail.1
What are the penalties for customers?
If you are a customer (“john”) caught in the act of solicitation or prostitution, you face harsher punishments for each successive conviction.
A first-time conviction is a misdemeanor. The sentence is:
- fines of up to $1,000 and/or up to 6 months in jail, and
- an additional $400 fine, and
- a civil penalty of $200 (or community service if you are unable to pay)
A second-time conviction is a gross misdemeanor. The sentence is:
- fines of up to $2,000 and/or up to 364 days in jail, and
- an additional $800 fine, and
- a civil penalty of $200 (or community service if you are unable to pay)
A third-time conviction is a gross misdemeanor. The sentence is:
- fines of up to $2,000 and/or up to 364 days in jail, and
- an additional $1,300 fine, and
- a civil penalty of $200 (or community service if you are unable to pay)2
What about plea bargains?
The D.A. may agree to dismiss your prostitution charge as part of a plea bargain where you:
- pay a $250 fine or perform 25 hours of community service; and
- complete an AIDS Awareness class or a prostitution education class; and
- avoid other arrests or citations while your case is open.
If the D.A. refuses to dismiss your charge, the D.A. may agree to change it to another misdemeanor with less of a stigma. Two misdemeanors that prostitution charges are commonly lessened to are “trespass” and “disorderly conduct.”
If the D.A. does not offer a favorable plea deal, you then have the option of going to trial. At trial, the D.A. has the burden to prove you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Additional resources
If you are a sex worker in need of help, refer to the following:
- National Harm Reduction Coalition – Resource library for people looking to escape sex work
- Red Umbrella Fund – Sex worker-led participatory fund to advance the interest of sex workers
- Sex Work Alliance of Nevada (SWAN) – Medical, financial, and mental health resources for sex workers
- Sex Workers Project – Information about sex workers’ financial and legal options
- National Human Trafficking Hotline – Immediate help for victims of sex trafficking
Legal References
- NRS 201.354. NRS 207.203. See, for example, Belcher v. State (2022) 508 P.3d 410; Dinitz v. Christensen, (1978) 94 Nev. 230, 234, 577 P.2d 873, 875.
- Same.