Montana Prostitution and Solicitation Laws
Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last updated June 20, 2016
Prostitution is illegal in almost every state, including Montana. In Montana, prostitution is defined as engaging in, agreeing to engage in, or offering to engage in sexual intercourse with another person in exchange for something of value. It is important to note that it is illegal to both buy and sell sexual favors.
In other words, it is illegal to both act as a prostitution and to be the patron who visits a prostitute. Within the state it is also illegal to promote prostitution (including soliciting prostitution). The tables below outline Montana's main prostitution and solicitation laws.
Code Section |
Montana Code section 45-5-601: Prostitution |
What's Prohibited? |
Engaging in, agreeing to engage in, or offering to engage in sexual intercourse with another person for compensation. It doesn't matter whether the compensation has been paid or not. |
Penalties |
A prostitute convicted of prostitution is fined of up to $500, and/or sent to jail for up to six months. A patron convicted of prostitution is punished by:
If the prostitute was a child, and the patron was 18 years old or older, the patron offender is punished by:
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Code Section |
Montana Code section 45-5-602: Promoting Prostitution |
What's Prohibited? |
Purposely or knowingly committing any of the following acts:
|
Penalties |
A person convicted of promoting prostitution is fined up to $50,000, and/or sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. If the prostitute was a child, and the offender was 18 years old or older, the offender is punished by:
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Aggravated Promotion of Prostitution |
A person commits aggravated promotion of prostitution if the person purposefully or knowingly commits any of the following acts:
Penalties:
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Evidence in Cases of Promotion |
If an issue in the case is whether or not a place is a house of prostitution, the following is admissible:
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Additional Resources
State laws change frequently. For case specific information regarding Montana's prostitution and solicitation laws contact a local criminal defense lawyer.
Next Steps: Search for a Local Attorney
Contact a qualified attorney.