State Sex Work Laws: What’s Legal, What’s Not, and How It Affects You

When we talk about state sex work laws, the patchwork of local regulations that determine whether selling sex is a crime, a civil offense, or legally protected activity. Also known as prostitution laws, these rules control everything from where you can work to whether you can be arrested for asking for money. There’s no single federal rule—each state decides its own path, and even cities within states have different enforcement habits. That means what’s legal in one county could land you in jail five miles away.

These laws don’t just affect your freedom—they shape your safety. solicitation laws, rules that target the act of offering or agreeing to sex for payment. Also known as prostitution statutes, they’re often used to arrest workers, not clients, pushing sex work underground and making it harder to screen clients or call for help. Meanwhile, sex worker rights, the legal and human protections that should apply regardless of occupation. Also known as labor rights for sex workers, they’re rarely enforced, even when courts or health organizations like the WHO say decriminalization saves lives. And if you’ve been arrested before, criminal record expungement, the legal process of clearing or sealing a past conviction. Also known as record sealing, it’s your chance to rebuild—but only if your state offers it, and even then, the system is stacked against you. Some states automatically erase certain convictions. Others require expensive lawyers and months of paperwork. A few don’t allow it at all.

The truth is, state sex work laws aren’t about morality—they’re about control, power, and money. They limit where you can advertise, who you can work with, and whether you can even talk openly about safety. But they also create gaps—places where people are getting help, fighting back, and winning changes. You’ll find real stories here: how someone cleared their record in California, how a worker avoided arrest in Oregon by knowing their rights, how a medical escort in Arizona used the same legal framework to protect clients. These aren’t abstract policies. They’re daily realities.

What follows isn’t theory. It’s a collection of guides written by people who’ve lived under these laws—how to spot a trap, how to challenge a charge, how to use the system even when it’s designed to break you. Whether you’re trying to stay safe, clear your name, or just understand what’s allowed where you are, these posts give you the facts—not the headlines.