Prostitution is illegal in DC. Both paying for sex and selling it are crimes in the District of Columbia, and so is soliciting either side of that exchange. A first offense is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail, but the penalties climb quickly with prior convictions, and the people who organize or profit from prostitution face felony prison time. A conviction can also cost you property through forfeiture and, for noncitizens, can lead to removal or a bar on returning to the United States.
Penalties for Selling, Buying, or Soliciting
D.C. defines prostitution as a sexual act or contact with another person in exchange for anything of value.1D.C. Law Library. Code of the District of Columbia 22-2701.01 – Definitions Solicitation is trying to arrange that exchange. It doesn’t matter which side you’re on. Buyers, sellers, and anyone soliciting either are prosecuted under the same statute and face the same penalties.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 22-2701 – Engaging in Prostitution or Soliciting for Prostitution
The punishment depends on your record:
- First offense: up to $500, up to 90 days in jail, or both.
- Second offense: up to $1,000, up to 180 days in jail, or both.
- Two or more prior convictions: up to $12,500, up to two years in prison, or both.
The fine amounts come from D.C.’s general schedule for criminal fines.3D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 22-3571.01 – Fines for Criminal Offenses By the third offense, the exposure crosses into prison time usually associated with felonies, and the fallout on jobs, housing, and immigration becomes much harder to undo.
If the Person Is Under 18
Anyone under 18 cannot be prosecuted for prostitution or solicitation in D.C.2D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 22-2701 – Engaging in Prostitution or Soliciting for Prostitution Rather than arresting the minor, police are required to refer the child to an organization that provides treatment, housing, or other services for trafficking victims. The law treats minors in commercial sex as victims regardless of whether a specific trafficker has been identified. This immunity is for the minor only; an adult on the other side of the transaction is not shielded, and purchasing sex from a minor triggers the far more severe charges described below.
Harsher Charges for Pimping, Profiting, and Coercion
D.C. draws a sharp line between the people in the transaction and the people arranging, profiting from, or forcing it. The second group faces felony prison time.
Pandering
Pandering covers placing a person in a situation where they will engage in prostitution, recruiting or pressuring someone into it, or arranging housing for that purpose. It is a felony carrying up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $12,500. When the victim is under 18, the maximum rises to 20 years.4D.C. Law Library. Code of the District of Columbia 22-2705 – Pandering; Inducing or Compelling an Individual to Engage in Prostitution
Compelling Prostitution
A separate statute targets anyone using threats or force to keep a person in prostitution against their will. The maximum is 15 years for adult victims and 20 years when the victim is under 18.5D.C. Law Library. Code of the District of Columbia 22-2706 – Compelling an Individual to Live Life of Prostitution Against His or Her Will
Profiting From Prostitution
Taking money from someone’s earnings as a prostitute is its own felony, carrying up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $12,500. It applies to anyone who collects money from a person engaged in prostitution when all that is provided in return is a place to work or similar services.6D.C. Law Library. Code of the District of Columbia – Title 22 Chapter 27 Subchapter I – General3D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 22-3571.01 – Fines for Criminal Offenses
Keeping a Disorderly House
Operating a location where prostitution regularly takes place is also a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $12,500. The statute uses the old term “bawdy or disorderly house” and covers any property habitually used for prostitution.7D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 22-2722 – Keeping Bawdy or Disorderly Houses3D.C. Law Library. District of Columbia Code 22-3571.01 – Fines for Criminal Offenses A court can also declare the property a nuisance and order it closed for up to a year.6D.C. Law Library. Code of the District of Columbia – Title 22 Chapter 27 Subchapter I – General
Asset Forfeiture
D.C. can seize property tied to a prostitution offense. Vehicles, aircraft, and vessels used to transport someone for prostitution or to facilitate the offense are subject to forfeiture, along with any cash exchanged in the transaction.6D.C. Law Library. Code of the District of Columbia – Title 22 Chapter 27 Subchapter I – General A car driven to a meeting or the money handed over during it can be permanently taken through civil forfeiture. Because forfeiture is a civil proceeding separate from the criminal case, an acquittal on the criminal side does not automatically return the property.
Immigration Consequences for Noncitizens
Federal immigration law makes a person inadmissible to the United States if they have engaged in prostitution within 10 years of applying for a visa, admission, or adjustment of status.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1182 – Inadmissible Aliens The same rule reaches anyone who has profited from prostitution or tried to recruit others into it. A conviction is not required; the conduct itself is enough.
A single prostitution arrest can block a green card, prevent reentry after travel abroad, or trigger removal proceedings. Prostitution is also commonly treated as a crime involving moral turpitude, which is an independent ground of inadmissibility. Any noncitizen with any prostitution-related contact with law enforcement should get specialized immigration counsel immediately.
When Federal Charges Can Enter the Picture
Because D.C. borders Maryland and Virginia, federal law shows up in prostitution cases more often than many people expect. The Mann Act makes it a federal crime to knowingly transport a person across state or international lines with the intent that they engage in prostitution. The maximum is 10 years in federal prison.9Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2421 – Transportation Generally Driving someone from a Virginia hotel into D.C. for a commercial sex transaction can satisfy the statute.
Federal sex trafficking law applies when force, fraud, or coercion is involved, or when the person is a minor. Trafficking an adult by force or coercion carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison and a possible life sentence. Trafficking a minor between 14 and 17 carries a mandatory minimum of 10 years.10Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1591 – Sex Trafficking of Children or by Force, Fraud, or Coercion These charges apply regardless of what happens in D.C. Superior Court.
Where Decriminalization Stands
D.C. has seen periodic efforts to decriminalize sex work between consenting adults. The most prominent, the Community Safety and Health Amendment Act, would have removed criminal penalties for consensual sex work among adults 18 and older while keeping trafficking and sexual assault laws in place. The bill has not been enacted. As of 2026, prostitution, solicitation, and every related offense described above remain fully criminalized in the District.