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Is Prostitution Legal in Las Vegas?  Douglas Crawford Law Explains

Is Prostitution Legal in Las Vegas

The Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS) cover the subject of Prostitution comprehensively, both legal and not. Many visitors to Nevada—Las Vegas especially—do not clearly understand the reality of legal Prostitution in Nevada. In Nevada’s largest cities, like Reno and Las Vegas, Prostitution is not legal. In some Nevada counties Prostitution is legal. By Nevada state law, counties with less than 700,000 residents can make Prostitution legal so long as the business transaction occurs in a brothel licensed and monitored by the state. At the moment, Prostitution is legal in eight Nevada counties, which house 19 brothels. Some of these brothels are within easy driving range of Las Vegas. Visitors and residents of Nevada can use them to meet the needs brothels serve.

Brothels operate under very strict state standards to ensure the safety of sex workers and guests. These standards apply to everyone. Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are one of the major dangers of sexual contact and the state of Nevada goes to great lengths to create a safe environment for all parties engaged in sexual transactions. Sex workers submit to monthly blood tests for HIV and other diseases, such as syphilis. These blood tests screen out workers who have mild or serious STDs, from Chlamydia to herpes and more. Transferring an STD can have serious consequences to your health and future. Even with the best medicine on the markets now, HIV can be fatal. You shouldn’t have to risk your life to meet your sexual needs. The state of Nevada is committed to making legal sex as safe as possible for everyone involved.

You might also be happy to know that by law brothel owners must face background checks, which are vast and comprehensive. Brothels must also disclose the origin of their financing to ensure the facilities are managed legally. Nevada is very aware of the illegal nature of much of the casinos and brothels in the state’s past history. That is not how business is done in Nevada any longer. The operations of brothels and workers within them are managed strictly by tight state laws.

If you are engaging in sexual conduct outside of a brothel, know that you are not only risking possible legal trouble from many angles but also putting your health at risk. In a brothel, sex is always conducted with the use of a condom. Yet even in the brothel environment, the standards and safeguards present still do not guarantee you a 100% guarantee that you will not pick up an STD, though they make transmission far less likely. Outside the brothel, you are rolling the dice with your sexual well-being. While a sex worker picked up or contracted outside of a brothel can make you guarantees about his or her health, there is no way for you to validate that claim except by taking that person’s word. Even with a condom, you are taking a chance.

You are also breaking the law.

Las Vegas is a center of sex trafficking. If you’re soliciting sex outside of a brothel, you may unknowingly be accepting sex from someone trafficked against his or her will. This is a serious crime in Nevada. No one wishing to abide by the law would wish to support sex trafficking. Without the certification system put in place to manage brothels in Nevada, you will not be able to be sure not only of an individual’s trafficked status, you may also be committing the crime of sex with a minor. Many Prostitutes working in Las Vegas and other areas in Nevada do not carry identification with them in case they are picked up by the police, or they carry false ID, so you will truly have no way of knowing anything about the person with whom you’re engaging in sexual activity.

Las Vegas Prostitution

Visitors to Las Vegas should be aware that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department routinely runs undercover operations to catch prostitutes and those who use them, often called Johns. You may have unwittingly gotten caught in one of these common police maneuvers. The slightest twist of wording could get you pulled in for a crime you didn’t even know you were committing.

Multiple escort services operate in the Las Vegas area. Escorts are not prostitutes and operate under very strict laws like brothels do. Visitors will see flyers and mobile billboards all around Sin City showcasing these options. Any escort offering reliable services will be licensed and by law must show a valid work card. If you are using the services of an escort you need to ensure that their services are on the up and up so you do not face potential criminal charges. You may face Solicitation charges if you ask an escort for more than their company.

The NRS contains multiple statutes on which you might be charged if you are caught in the act of soliciting sex for money. Penalties can run from small fines to jail time for larger offenses. The NRS will be the basis for our defense. I have seen almost every situation people can get themselves into and my 30+ years of experience will help you to create the best defense possible so you face the smallest penalty, if any.

If you or any acquaintance of yours in southern Nevada—Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City, or Mesquite—or if you’re a visitor to the Silver State and you have gotten in trouble because of Prostitution, you need to reach out for the best criminal defense advice and/or assistance you can get.

You need the help of Douglas Crawford Law.  If you need criminal defense in this area of the law, give us a call to set up a consultation.  We can be reached at

For more information on how https://douglascrawfordlaw.com can help you with Prostitution in Las Vegas, please contact us.

Douglas Crawford Law:
501 S 7th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, United States
(702) 383-0090
Las Vegas Prostitution Lawyer