Colo. Rev. Stat. » Title 18
Colorado Revised Statutes

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-7-201 (2026)

Prostitution prohibited

✓ current as of July 2026
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(1) Any person who performs or offers or agrees to perform any act of sexual intercourse, fellatio, cunnilingus, masturbation, or anal intercourse with any person not his spouse in exchange for money or other thing of value commits prostitution. (2) (a) "Fellatio", as used in this section, means any act of oral stimulation of the penis. (b) "Cunnilingus", as used in this section, means any act of oral stimulation of the vulva or clitoris. (c) "Masturbation", as used in this section, means stimulation of the genital organs by manual or other bodily contact exclusive of sexual intercourse. (d) "Anal intercourse", as used in this section, means contact between human beings of the genital organs of one and the anus of another. (3) Prostitution is a petty offense.

Source: L. 71: R&RE, p. 451, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-7-201. L. 77: Entire section R&RE, p. 987, § 1, effective May 27. L. 2021: (3) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3193, § 264, effective March 1, 2022.

18-7-201.3. Affirmative defense - human trafficking - expungement of record protective order - definitions. (1) A person charged with prostitution, as described in section 18-7-201 or any corresponding municipal code or ordinance, for an offense committed on or after July 1, 2015, which offense was committed as a direct result of being a victim of human trafficking, may assert as an affirmative defense that he or she is a victim of human trafficking as defined in subsection (4) of this section. To assert the affirmative defense pursuant to this subsection (1), the person charged with the offense must demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that he or she was a victim of human trafficking at the time of the offense. An official determination or documentation is not required to assert an affirmative defense pursuant to this subsection (1), but official documentation from a federal, state, local, or tribal government agency indicating that the defendant was a victim at the time of the offense creates a presumption that his or her participation in the offense was a direct result of being a victim. (2) Repealed. (3) At the request of a person who asserted the affirmative defense pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the court may at any time issue a protective order concerning protecting the confidentiality of the person asserting the affirmative defense. (4) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires: (a) "Human trafficking" means an offense described in part 5 of article 3 of this title or any conduct that, if it occurred prior to the enactment of such part 5, would constitute an offense of human trafficking pursuant to part 5 of article 3 of this title. (b) "Victim of human trafficking" means a "victim" as defined in section 18-3-502 (12).

Source: L. 2015: Entire section added, (SB 15-030), ch. 107, p. 311, § 1, effective April 16. L. 2017: (2)(b) repealed, (HB 17-1204), ch. 206, p. 784, § 5, effective November 1. L. 2019: (2)(a) amended, (HB 19-1275), ch. 295, p. 2747, § 3, effective August 2. L. 2022: (2)(a) and (2)(c) repealed, (SB 22-099), ch. 276, p. 1985, § 5, effective August 10.

18-7-201.4. Victim of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude - provision of services - reporting. If a law enforcement officer encounters a person who is under eighteen years of age and who is engaging in any conduct that would be a violation of section 18-7-201, 18-7-202, 18-7-204, or 18-7-207 or a prostitution-related offense pursuant to a county or municipal ordinance and there is probable cause to believe that the minor is a victim of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude pursuant to section 18-3-504, the law enforcement officer or agency shall immediately report a suspected violation of human trafficking of a minor for sexual servitude to the appropriate county department of human or social services or the child abuse reporting hotline system created pursuant to section 26-5-111. The county department of human or social services shall subsequently follow the reporting requirements set forth in section 19-3-308 (4)(c).

Source: L. 2019: Entire section added, (SB 19-185), ch. 147, p. 1767, § 6, effective May 6.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 19-185, see section 1 of chapter 147, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.

18-7-201.5. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome testing for persons convicted of prostitution. (Repealed)

Source: L. 90: Entire section added, p. 987, § 13, effective April 24. L. 99: Entire section amended, p. 997, § 2, effective May 29. L. 2000: (1) amended, p. 452, § 3, effective April 24. L. 2016: Entire section repealed, (SB 16-146), ch. 230, p. 914, § 3, effective July 1.

18-7-201.7. Prostitution with knowledge of being infected with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. (Repealed)

Source: L. 90: Entire section added, p. 987, § 13, effective April 24. L. 99: (3) added, p. 998, § 3, effective May 29. L. 2016: Entire section repealed, (SB 16-146), ch. 230, p. 914, § 3, effective July 1.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1977–2025 · leading case: People v. Madden, 111 P.3d 452 (Colo. 2005).
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People v. Madden, 111 P.3d 452 (Colo. 2005). · cites it 4× “"); see also § 18-7-201, C.R.S. (2004) (stating: "Any person who performs .”
People v. Mason, 642 P.2d 8 (Colo. 1982). · cites it 7× “Section 18-7-201(1), C.R.S.1973 (1978 Repl.”
Ferguson v. People, 824 P.2d 803 (Colo. 1992). · cites it 2× “) (sexual relations between persons related within specified degrees of kinship proscribed as incest); § 18-7-201, 8B C.R.S. (1986) (sexual intercourse with any person not the offender’s spouse, in exchange for money or other thing of value, proscribed as prostitution); §…”
People v. Becker, 759 P.2d 26 (Colo. 1988). “(1986) (first degree criminal trespass); § 18-7-201(1), 8B C.R. S. (1986) (prostitution); § 18-10-102(2), 8B C.”
People v. Morales, 356 P.3d 972 (Colo. Ct. App. 2014). “See § 18-7-201(2)(b), C.R.98.2014 (" 'Cunnilingus,' as used in this section, means any act of oral stimulation of the vulva or clitoris.”
People v. Williamson, 249 P.3d 801 (Colo. 2011). · cites it 2× “See § 18-7-201(1), C.R.S. (2010); Aurora Colo.”
People v. Perez, 561 P.2d 7 (Colo. 1977). “2 “Prostitution” and “place of prostitution” are defined respectively in sections 18-7-201 and 18-7-204, C.R.S. 1973.”
United States v. Walker, 943 F. Supp. 1326 (D. Colo. 1996). · cites it 2× “§§ 371 and 1952(a)(3) and Colo.Rev.Stat. § 18-7-201. Counts two through 30 charge Walker and Campbell-Walker with violations of 18 U.”
Peo v. King (Colo. Ct. App. 2025). · cites it 3× “” § 18-7-201(1), C.R.S. 2025. At the party, King agreed to have sex in exchange for money.”
Ding, 27 I. & N. Dec. 295 (2018). “7 See Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-7-201 (1) (1994); 720 Ill.”
Peo v. Longoria (Colo. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 2× “See also § 18-7-201, C.R.S. 2024 (defining the same three terms the same way for purposes of section 2 of article 7 of title 18, relating to prostitution offenses ).”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-7-201(1) — 4 cases
People v. Mason, 642 P.2d 8 (Colo. 1982). “Section 18-7-201(1), C.R.S.1973 (1978 Repl.”
People v. Becker, 759 P.2d 26 (Colo. 1988). “(1986) (first degree criminal trespass); § 18-7-201(1), 8B C.R. S. (1986) (prostitution); § 18-10-102(2), 8B C.”
People v. Williamson, 249 P.3d 801 (Colo. 2011). “See § 18-7-201(1), C.R.S. (2010); Aurora Colo.”
Peo v. King (Colo. Ct. App. 2025). “” § 18-7-201(1), C.R.S. 2025. At the party, King agreed to have sex in exchange for money.”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-7-201(2)(b) — 1 case
People v. Morales, 356 P.3d 972 (Colo. Ct. App. 2014). “See § 18-7-201(2)(b), C.R.98.2014 (" 'Cunnilingus,' as used in this section, means any act of oral stimulation of the vulva or clitoris.”
— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-7-201(3) — 1 case
Peo v. King (Colo. Ct. App. 2025). “” § 18-7-201(1), C.R.S. 2025. At the party, King agreed to have sex in exchange for money.”
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