Contrary to popular belief, Las Vegas is a party town, and as such, it has a relaxed law when it comes to prostitution. That is not the case! They said being ignorant of the law does not stop you from prosecution of the law, and I am happy that as a tourist in Las Vegas, you have taken your time to read and understand the Vegas law as it relates to prostitution before you will be prosecuted.
While it is true that prostitution is legal in some surrounding rural settlements within the Las Vegas jurisdiction, it has some strict parameters that must be met before this can be legal. Still, within the Las Vegas metropolitan itself, I will give you a resounding NO, prostitution is not legal in Las Vegas. Now, follow me through this post to the end to see what offenses and defenses you can get if you go contrary to this law. Enough of talking; let’s see it here now.
Where and under what circumstances is prostitution legal in Nevada?
There are counties in Las Vegas where prostitution is legal to practice, and you can see brothels all around, but under what circumstances is this legal? If a county’s population has not exceeded 700, 000 then only in state-licensed brothels. As of the time of writing this post, it is legal in 10 of Nevada’s 17 counties, and currently, only 21 (down from a high of 35) state-licensed brothels are in operation throughout Nevada. You should know this before engaging in any act of prostitution.
Some rules guide how a brothel can be operated in Vegas within the counties in which it is operated. An employee in a brothel must be 18 years and above, have a work card, work of their own free will, submit to government health examinations to detect STDs, and you have to be using condoms. A legal brothel must not be located close to a school or a church, at least 400 yards away, and it shouldn’t be facing a main street either.
If you keep this law to the letter, you will not be going against the government regulations and the law guiding the operations of brothels and prostitution.
Facts About Prostitution in Las Vegas
Below are facts you need to know about the prostitution laws in Nevada so you will not end up a victim of the wrong side of the law. Remember, as I said earlier, ignorance does not stop the law from prosecuting you. Let’s follow now to the end and find out some facts about the Las Vegas, NV prostitution laws:
PROSTITUTION IS NOT LEGAL IN ALL COUNTIES
Although it is legal in some counties with a population of less than 700,000. It is not legal for the counties with a population more than this, and you will be prosecuted for practicing prostitution here. Clark County, the county where Las Vegas is situated, has a population more than the number stipulated by law to be legal to practice prostitution; hence, prostitution is a criminal offense in Las Vegas.
You can still go to other counties and see prostitution being practiced, but it is not legal in Clark County. As of the time of writing this post, the counties where prostitution is legal include Washoe County (where Reno is located), Douglas County, Eureka County, Lincoln County, and Pershing County.
BROTHELS MUST FOLLOW STATE SAFETY RULES
Some rules guide how a brothel can be operated in Vegas within the counties in which it is operated. An employee in a brothel must be 18 years and above, have a work card, work of their own free will, submit to government health examinations to detect STDs, and you have to be using condoms. A legal brothel must not be located close to a school or a church, at least 400 yards away, and it shouldn’t be facing a main street either.
If you keep this law to the letter, you will not be going against the government regulations and the law guiding the operations of brothels and prostitution. Prostitutes are not allowed to provide any service until it is certified that they are free of any STDs.
APPLYING FOR A BROTHEL LICENSE REQUIRES A BACKGROUND CHECK
You must pass the city background check to get a license to run a brothel in Las Vegas. This will include the people managing the business and your source of financing. This is very important before any brothel is established, so you should prepare it before the State asks for it.
ESCORTS ARE LEGAL IN LAS VEGAS
Prostitution isn’t legal in Las Vegas, but an escort is. In legal terms, an escort accompanies others for hire in public or private settings.
If you are an escort operating within Clark County or anywhere in Las Vegas, you must have a work permit and have been licensed to do so. Further, escorts are not permitted to offer sexual services for money, nor are escort services allowed to advertise that sex is being offered. Doing so could result in prostitution and pandering charges for the escort and the client. Undercover operations to catch perpetrators are pretty standard.
Conclusion
The legality of prostitution in Las Vegas has to be a matter of what county you are located in. If you’re in a county with more than 700,000 people. Prostitution automatically becomes illegal to practice, but in contrast, if you’re in a county with less than this number, it’s legal but has to be government-approved brothels and prostitutes with work permits. There are strict laws guiding the operations of brothels and Prostitution in Vegas that you have to adhere to to be within the ambit of the law. If you’re suspected or arrested in suspicion of practicing prostitution in any county designated illegal to do so, seek the service of a law firm for your defense.
