Montana Prostitution and Solicitation Laws

Code Section

What's Prohibited?

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:

• First offense: A fine of up to $1,000, and/or imprisonment for up to one year.
• Second offense: A fine of up to $10,000, and/or imprisonment for up to five years.

If the prostitute was a child, and the patron was 18 years old or older, the patron offender is punished by:

• Imprisonment for 100 years (part of which may be suspended or deferred)
• A fine of up to $50,000, and
• A requirement to successfully complete a sexual offender treatment program

Code Section

What's Prohibited?

• Owning, controlling, or otherwise keeping a house of prostitution or a prostitution business
• Procuring an individual for a house of prostitution or for an individual
• Encouraging, inducing, or otherwise purposely causing another to become or remain a prostitute
• Soliciting clients for a prostitute
• Procuring a prostitute for a patron
• Transporting an individual into or within Montana for the purpose of engaging in prostitution
• Leasing or otherwise permitting a place under your control to be regularly used for prostitution (or for the procurement of prostitution) and failing to make reasonable efforts to stop that use, or
• Living (in whole or in part) off of the earnings of an individual engaging in prostitution (unless the person is the prostitute's minor child or other legal dependent)

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:

• Imprisonment for 100 years (part of which may be suspended or deferred)
• A fine of up to $50,000, and
• A requirement to successfully complete a sexual offender treatment program

Aggravated Promotion of Prostitution

A person commits aggravated promotion of prostitution if the person purposefully or knowingly commits any of the following acts:

• Compels another to engage in or promote prostitution
• Promotes prostitution of a child
• Promotes prostitution of one's spouse, child, ward, or any person for whose care, protection, or support the person is responsible for

Penalties:

• A person convicted of aggravated promotion of prostitution may be punished by life imprisonment, or by a fine of up to $50,000 and imprisonment for up to 20 years.

Evidence in Cases of Promotion

• Its general repute
• The repute of people who reside in or frequent the place, and
• The frequency, timing, and duration of visits by nonresidents