Minnesota Statutes

Minn. Stat. § 609.324 (2026)

Patrons; Prostitutes; Housing Individuals Engaged In Prostitution; Penalties

✓ current as of May 2026

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Subdivision 1.Engaging in, hiring, or agreeing to hire minor to engage in prostitution; penalties.

(a) Whoever intentionally does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 20 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $40,000, or both:

(1) engages in prostitution with an individual under the age of 14 years;

(2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual under the age of 14 years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact; or

(3) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual who the actor reasonably believes to be under the age of 14 years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

(b) Whoever intentionally does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine of not more than $20,000, or both:

(1) engages in prostitution with an individual under the age of 16 years but at least 14 years;

(2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual under the age of 16 years but at least 14 years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact; or

(3) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual who the actor reasonably believes to be under the age of 16 years but at least 14 years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

(c) Whoever intentionally does any of the following may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both:

(1) engages in prostitution with an individual under the age of 18 years but at least 16 years;

(2) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual under the age of 18 years but at least 16 years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact; or

(3) hires or offers or agrees to hire an individual who the actor reasonably believes to be under the age of 18 years but at least 16 years to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

Subd. 1a.Housing unrelated minor engaged in prostitution; penalties.

Any person, other than one related by blood, adoption, or marriage to the minor, who permits a minor to reside, temporarily or permanently, in the person's dwelling without the consent of the minor's parents or guardian, knowing or having reason to know that the minor is engaging in prostitution may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 364 days or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both; except that, this subdivision does not apply to residential placements made, sanctioned, or supervised by a public or private social service agency.

Subd. 2.Patrons of prostitution; penalty.

(a) Whoever, while acting as a patron, intentionally does any of the following is guilty of a gross misdemeanor:

(1) engages in prostitution with an individual 18 years of age or older; or

(2) hires, offers to hire, or agrees to hire an individual 18 years of age or older to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

Except as otherwise provided in subdivision 4, a person who is convicted of violating this subdivision must, at a minimum, be sentenced to pay a fine of at least $1,500.

(b) Whoever violates the provisions of this subdivision within ten years of a previous conviction for violating this section or section 609.322 is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both.

Subd. 3.

MS 2020 [Repealed, 1Sp2021 c 11 art 2 s 57]

Subd. 4.Community service in lieu of minimum fine.

The court may order a person convicted of violating subdivision 2 to perform community work service in lieu of all or a portion of the minimum fine required under those subdivisions if the court makes specific, written findings that the convicted person is indigent or that payment of the fine would create undue hardship for the convicted person or that person's immediate family. Community work service ordered under this subdivision is in addition to any mandatory community work service ordered under subdivision 3.

Subd. 5.Use of motor vehicle to patronize prostitutes; driving record notation.

(a) When a court sentences a person convicted of violating this section while acting as a patron, the court shall determine whether the person used a motor vehicle during the commission of the offense and whether the person has previously been convicted of violating this section or section 609.322. If the court finds that the person used a motor vehicle during the commission of the offense, it shall forward its finding along with an indication of whether the person has previously been convicted of a prostitution offense to the commissioner of public safety who shall record the finding on the person's driving record. Except as provided in paragraph (b), the finding is classified as private data on individuals, as defined in section 13.02, subdivision 12, but is accessible for law enforcement purposes.

(b) If the person has previously been convicted of a violation of this section or section 609.322, the finding is public data.

Subd. 6.Prostitution in public place; penalty for prostitutes.

Whoever, while acting as a prostitute, intentionally does any of the following while in a public place is guilty of a gross misdemeanor:

(1) engages in prostitution with an individual 18 years of age or older; or

(2) is hired, offers to be hired, or agrees to be hired by an individual 18 years of age or older to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

Subd. 7.General prostitution crimes; penalties for prostitutes.

(a) Whoever, while acting as a prostitute, intentionally does any of the following is guilty of a misdemeanor:

(1) engages in prostitution with an individual 18 years of age or older; or

(2) is hired, offers to be hired, or agrees to be hired by an individual 18 years of age or older to engage in sexual penetration or sexual contact.

(b) Whoever violates the provisions of this subdivision within two years of a previous prostitution conviction for violating this section or section 609.322 is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 33 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1982–2024 · leading case: State of Minnesota v. Antonio Dion Washington-Davis, 881 N.W.2d 531 (Minn. 2016).

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State of Minnesota v. Antonio Dion Washington-Davis, 881 N.W.2d 531 (Minn. 2016). · cites it 4× “See Minn.Stat. § 609.324 (2014). The statute’s focus on speech directly related to criminal behavior makes the statute’s reach similar to that of the statute at issue in Williams, 553 U.”

Jose Refugio Gomez-Gutierrez v. Loretta E. Lynch, 811 F.3d 1053 (8th Cir. 2016). · cites it 3× “On September 27, 2006, Gomez-Gutierrez was convicted of soliciting prostitution in violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subd. 2 (2006), which, at the time, criminalized “soliciting] or accepting] a solicitation to engage for hire in sexual penetration or sexual contact while in a…”

Van Buren v. State, 556 N.W.2d 548 (Minn. 1996). · cites it 4× “1(g) and l(h)(iii) (1994), and one count of solicitation of a minor for prostitution under Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subd. 1(b)(2) (1994), for the sexual assault of his 14r-year-old niece, K.”

State v. Oanes, 543 N.W.2d 658 (Minn. Ct. App. 1996). · cites it 8× “After a bench trial, Rachel Janel Oanes was convicted of prostitution in violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subd. 3(1). On appeal, Oanes argues: (1) the evidence is insufficient to support her conviction; (2) the trial court erred by failing to consider the defense of…”

Complaint Concerning Winton, 350 N.W.2d 337 (Minn. 1984). · cites it 4× “See Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subds. 1(2), 3(2) (1982).”

State v. Kelly, 379 N.W.2d 649 (Minn. Ct. App. 1986). · cites it 13× “See Minn. Stat. § 609.324 , subd. 3 (1984) (penalty for a prostitution conviction if within two years of another conviction).”

State v. Burkland, 775 N.W.2d 372 (Minn. Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 8× “This appeal arises from appellant’s conviction of misdemeanor prostitution, a violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subd. 3 (2006). Appellant argues that the investigating officer engaged in outrageous government conduct in violation of the due-process guarantees of the Fourteenth…”

State v. Ketter, 364 N.W.2d 459 (Minn. Ct. App. 1985). · cites it 9× “OPINION LANSING lude^e ’ g ' Appellant was charged with misdemean- or prostitution in violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subd. 3(1) (1982). She unsuccessfully moved to dismiss the complaint for lack of probable cause and on the ground that the statute was facially…”

State v. Prabhudail, 602 N.W.2d 413 (Minn. Ct. App. 1999). · cites it 4× “The state charged Prabhudail with misdemeanor solicitation of prostitution in violation of Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subd. 3 (1998). At a pretrial hearing, Prabhudail's counsel informed the district court that, due to Prabhudail's immigration status, a conviction would be grounds…”

State v. Davidson, 351 N.W.2d 8 (Minn. 1984). · cites it 2× “1982), the defendant was charged with engaging in prostitution, a gross misdemeanor under Minn.Stat. § 609.324, subd. 3 (1982), by virtue of the fact that the conduct occurred within 2 years of a previous conviction of prostitution.”

Saul Aguilar-Sanchez v. Merrick Garland, 87 F.4th 878 (8th Cir. 2023). · cites it 5× “” Minn. Stat. § 609.324 , subd. 1(b)(3). The Department of Homeland Security subsequently initiated removal proceedings against Aguilar-Sanchez.”

State v. Botsford, 630 N.W.2d 11 (Minn. Ct. App. 2001). · cites it 2× “, Minn. Stat § 609.324 (2000) (regulating prostitution).”

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