Prostitution in Nevada is a unique and complex topic. Here’s what you need to know:
- Legal Status:
- Nevada is the only U.S. state where prostitution is legally permitted in some form.
- Prostitution is legal in 10 of Nevada’s 17 counties, although only six allow it in every municipality.
- Six counties have at least one active brothel, which mainly operate in isolated, rural areas.
- The state’s most populated counties, Clark (which contains Las Vegas) and Washoe (which contains Reno), do not permit prostitution.
- It is also illegal in Nevada’s capital, Carson City.
- History:
- Brothels have been allowed in Nevada since the middle of the 20th century.
- In 1937, a law was enacted to require weekly health checks of all prostitutes.
- In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued an order to suppress prostitution near military bases, affecting the red-light districts of Reno and Las Vegas.
- In 1971, Joe Conforte, owner of a brothel called Mustang Ranch, convinced county officials to enact an ordinance providing for the licensing of brothels and prostitutes.
- Officials in Las Vegas, fearing Conforte would open a brothel nearby, enacted legislation prohibiting the legalization of prostitution in counties with a population above a certain threshold, tailored to apply only to Clark County.
- The Nevada Supreme Court upheld the legality of brothels in several cases, allowing them to continue operating.
- Where It’s Legal:
- Nevada law prohibits solicitation and prostitution unless it takes place in a licensed house of prostitution.
- State law bans licensed brothels in counties with populations of 700,000 or more (currently Clark County).
- Only 10 counties in Nevada allow prostitution, and even then, only within licensed brothels.
- Churchill, Esmeralda, Lander, Mineral, Nye, and Storey counties allow brothels throughout.
- Elko, Humboldt, Lyon, and White Pine counties only allow brothels in some incorporated communities.
In summary, while Nevada has a unique legal framework for prostitution, it’s important to understand the specific rules and restrictions that apply in different counties. Visitors should be aware of the limitations and where legal brothels operate if they choose to explore this aspect of Nevada’s culture and history.
