Short answer: paying for sex is illegal everywhere in the United States, with one exception. Licensed brothels operate in a handful of rural Nevada counties. Not in Las Vegas, not in Reno. Escorting itself, paid companionship and time together, is legal in every state. The details and the penalties differ a lot from state to state, and several states got much tougher on buyers in 2026.

This is a plain-language overview, not legal advice. Laws change, and if you're facing charges, talk to a local attorney.

What's legal everywhere: companionship

Being paid for your time and company is legal across the US. A dinner date, going to an event together, a private meeting where the money is for time. Escort agencies and independent escorts advertise openly, and some cities even issue escort business licenses, Las Vegas among them.

The line is the same in every state: money for time is legal, money for sex is not. That's why legitimate profiles talk about time and rates, not specific acts, and why clients should write the same way.

Nevada: the only state with legal brothels

Nevada allows licensed brothels, but only in counties with fewer than 700,000 people, which rules out Clark County and Las Vegas under state law. Several other counties, Washoe (Reno) and Carson City among them, ban brothels through local ordinances. As of 2026 there are 16 licensed brothels in seven counties: Elko, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Storey and White Pine.

Outside those brothels prostitution is illegal in Nevada too, including on the Strip. More in our guide to escort laws in Nevada.

Maine: selling decriminalized, buying still a crime

In 2023 Maine became the first state to decriminalize selling sex, while buying it is still a crime. This is the so-called Nordic or equality model, close to the approach Canada uses. A person who sells sex in Maine isn't prosecuted for it, a person who pays still can be.

States that are toughest on buyers

The clear trend of recent years is higher penalties for clients. Texas made buying sex a state jail felony from the first offense in 2021 (Penal Code Β§ 43.021). Georgia followed with a law that makes it a felony from the first offense starting July 1, 2026. Kansas, Missouri and Arizona also passed laws in 2026 that raise the penalties for buyers to felony level.

Florida treats a first offense of soliciting as a first-degree misdemeanor, but a second one is already a third-degree felony, and every conviction brings a $5,000 civil penalty, 100 hours of community service and a possible impound of your car. Our guides to Texas and Florida have the details.

States moving the other way

A few places have eased enforcement without legalizing anything. In New York the Manhattan District Attorney stopped prosecuting prostitution in 2021, and the state repealed its loitering-for-prostitution law the same year. California repealed a similar loitering law in 2022. Bills to fully decriminalize sex work have been introduced in New York and other states, but none has passed. Buying and selling sex are still misdemeanors in both states, our guides to New York and California go deeper.

Rhode Island is a footnote worth knowing: from 1980 to 2009 a gap in its law left indoor prostitution legal. The legislature closed it in 2009.

Federal law applies in every state

On top of state law, two federal laws matter. The Mann Act makes it a crime to take someone across state lines for prostitution. FOSTA-SESTA, passed in 2018, made websites liable for ads that promote prostitution, which is why Backpage shut down and why legitimate platforms today keep ads strictly about companionship. Anything involving a person under 18 is a serious federal crime in every state, no exceptions.

Quick overview by state

  • Nevada: legal only in licensed brothels in 7 rural counties, illegal in Las Vegas and Reno
  • Maine: selling decriminalized since 2023, buying is a crime
  • Texas: buying is a felony from the first offense, selling is usually a misdemeanor
  • Georgia: buying is a felony from the first offense since July 1, 2026
  • Florida: first offense a misdemeanor, second a felony, plus a $5,000 civil penalty
  • New York: both sides are misdemeanors, Manhattan doesn't prosecute selling
  • California: both sides are misdemeanors, loitering law repealed in 2022
  • Most other states: buying and selling are misdemeanors on a first offense, with higher penalties for repeat offenses

Outside the US the picture is different. In Canada buying is illegal and selling is not, and Germany regulates sex work as a legal job. See escort laws in Canada and where escort work is legal in Germany.

What this means if you book an escort

Book time and company, not acts. Keep your messages about the date, the place and the rate. Use a platform with real, verified profiles instead of street contacts or massage parlors, where trafficking and police stings are common. And keep in mind that in most states stings target clients: officers post fake ads and wait for someone to offer money for sex. A provider who screens you is protecting both of you. Our guide on how to write a first message shows how to keep it clean, and you can browse escorts in the USA on TrystHub.

Frequently asked questions

Is prostitution legal anywhere in the US?

Only in licensed brothels in seven rural Nevada counties. It's illegal in every other place, including Las Vegas and Reno.

Is prostitution legal in Las Vegas?

No. Clark County is too big for brothels under Nevada law. Escort companionship is legal there, and the city licenses escort services.

Is it legal to hire an escort in the US?

Yes, paying for time and company is legal in every state. Paying for sex is not, and that's where the law draws the line.

Which states make buying sex a felony?

Texas and Georgia from the first offense. Kansas, Missouri and Arizona raised buyer penalties to felony level in 2026, and in Florida a second offense is a felony.

Has any state decriminalized sex work?

Partly. Maine decriminalized selling sex in 2023, buying is still a crime there. No state has fully decriminalized it.

What's the usual penalty for a first offense?

In most states a misdemeanor with fines, possible jail time and often a class for buyers. In Texas and Georgia it's already a felony.