Tennessee Code Annotated
Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512 (2026)
Prostitution - Definitions
✓ current as of May 2026
As used in §§ 39-13-512 - 39-13-515, unless the context otherwise requires:
- (1) "House of prostitution" means any place where prostitution or the promotion of prostitution is regularly carried on by one (1) or more persons under the control, management or supervision of another;
- (2) "Inmate" means, within the meaning of this part concerning prostitution, a person who engages in prostitution in or through the agency of a house of prostitution;
- (3) "Patronizing prostitution" means soliciting or hiring another person with the intent that the other person engage in prostitution, or entering or remaining in a house of prostitution for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity;
- (4)
- (A) "Promoting prostitution" means:
- (i) Owning, controlling, managing, supervising, or in any way keeping, alone or in association with others, a business for the purpose of engaging in prostitution, or a house of prostitution;
- (ii) Procuring an inmate for a house of prostitution;
- (iii) Encouraging, inducing, or otherwise purposely causing another to become a prostitute;
- (iv) Soliciting a person to patronize a prostitute;
- (v) Procuring a prostitute for a patron; or
- (vi) Soliciting, receiving, or agreeing to receive any benefit for engaging in any of the activities defined in subdivisions (4)(A)(i)-(v); and
- (B) "Promoting prostitution" does not include a person who solicits, procures, induces, encourages, or attempts to cause another to patronize a prostitute if:
- (i) The person promoting the prostitute and the prostitute being promoted are the same person; and
- (ii) The intent of the promotion is the solicitation of business for only the prostitute engaging in the promotion;
- (A) "Promoting prostitution" means:
- (5) "Promoting prostitution of a minor" means engaging in any of the activities described in subdivision (4) when one (1) or more of the persons engaged in prostitution is less than eighteen (18) years of age or has an intellectual disability;
- (6) "Prostitution" means engaging in, or offering to engage in, sexual activity as a business or being an inmate in a house of prostitution or loitering in a public place for the purpose of being hired to engage in sexual activity; and
- (7) "Sexual activity" means any sexual relations including homosexual sexual relations.
Amended by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 979, s 1, eff. 7/1/2016.
Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 1; 1995, ch. 296, § 1; 2011 , ch. 377, § 3.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 17
cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1991–2025 · leading case: State v. Boyd, 925 S.W.2d 237 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995).
State v. Boyd, 925 S.W.2d 237 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995). “” Although there was no touching of the genitals by either party, Boyd and Lamky danced with each other while nude, Boyd touched Lamky’s buttocks, put her face in the area of Lamky’s genitals, and also sucked on the finger of the investigator.”
State v. Bell, 832 S.W.2d 583 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1991). ““Promoting prostitution” is similarly defined under the new law which can be found at T.C.A. § 39-13-512(4): (4) “Promoting prostitution” means: (A) Owning, controlling, managing, supervising, or in any way keeping, alone or in an association with others, a business for the…”
State ex rel. Gibbons v. Jackson, 16 S.W.3d 797 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). “In their briefs, both parties have referred to T.C.A. § 39-13-512. This section defines “prostitution” in the criminal context as “engaging in, or offering to engage in, sexual activity as a business .”
DLS, Inc. v. City of Chattanooga, 894 F. Supp. 1140 (E.D. Tenn. 1995). “Some of this conduct would violate Tennessee’s public indecency statute, which prohibits, among other things, the public fondling of genitals. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-511(a)(1)(A)(iii).”
State of Tennessee v. Paul Friedman (Tenn. Crim. App. 2005). “In its final order, the trial court stated the certified question of law, appealable to this Court, as: “Whether the trial court erroneously denied the Defendant’s motion to dismiss the indictment and for the determination of unconstitutionality of Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512 ,…”
State of Tennessee v. Clyde E. Willis (Tenn. Crim. App. 2025). “See T.C.A. § 39-13-512(3) (2018); -514(a)(2) (Supp.”
State of Tennessee v. Joseph Chi-Choi Wong (Tenn. Crim. App. 2004). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512 (6). In State v.”
State of Tennessee, ex rel, William L. Gibbons v. Sherrod Jackson, Robert Williams, Nathaniel Williams, Mike Williams, Shirley Blalock, & Steven Craig Cooper (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512 (6). We are left with a two-prong analysis.”
Ding, 27 I. & N. Dec. 295 (2018). “Codified Laws § 22-23-1 (1994); Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512 (5) (1994); Tex.”
State of Tennessee v. Tavares Duone Braden (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011). “” Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-512(4) states, “Promoting prostitution” means, among other things, “[p]rocuring a prostitute for a patron” or “[s]oliciting, receiving, or agreeing to receive any benefit for [procuring a prostitute for a patron].”
State of Tennessee v. Randall Ray Ward (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020). “§ 39-13-512(6). The defendant argues he cannot be guilty of promoting prostitution because both S.”
State of Tennessee v. Ivan Ashley (Tenn. Crim. App. 2023). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512 (6). At the time of the undercover operation in July 2021, Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-514, which is titled “Patronizing prostitution – Unacceptable Defenses,” provided as follows: (a) A person commits an offense under this section: (1)…”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512(3) — 3 cases
State of Tennessee v. Clyde E. Willis (Tenn. Crim. App. 2025). “See T.C.A. § 39-13-512(3) (2018); -514(a)(2) (Supp.”
State of Tennessee v. Robert Banks (Tenn. Crim. App. 2004).
State of Tennessee v. F. Chris Cawood (Tenn. Crim. App. 2002).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512(4) — 2 cases
State v. Bell, 832 S.W.2d 583 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1991). ““Promoting prostitution” is similarly defined under the new law which can be found at T.C.A. § 39-13-512(4): (4) “Promoting prostitution” means: (A) Owning, controlling, managing, supervising, or in any way keeping, alone or in an association with others, a business for the…”
State of Tennessee v. Tavares Duone Braden (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011). “” Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-512(4) states, “Promoting prostitution” means, among other things, “[p]rocuring a prostitute for a patron” or “[s]oliciting, receiving, or agreeing to receive any benefit for [procuring a prostitute for a patron].”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512(5) — 7 cases
State v. Boyd, 925 S.W.2d 237 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995). “” Although there was no touching of the genitals by either party, Boyd and Lamky danced with each other while nude, Boyd touched Lamky’s buttocks, put her face in the area of Lamky’s genitals, and also sucked on the finger of the investigator.”
DLS, Inc. v. City of Chattanooga, 894 F. Supp. 1140 (E.D. Tenn. 1995). “Some of this conduct would violate Tennessee’s public indecency statute, which prohibits, among other things, the public fondling of genitals. Tenn.Code Ann. § 39-13-511(a)(1)(A)(iii).”
State ex rel. Gibbons v. Jackson, 16 S.W.3d 797 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). “In their briefs, both parties have referred to T.C.A. § 39-13-512. This section defines “prostitution” in the criminal context as “engaging in, or offering to engage in, sexual activity as a business .”
State of Tennessee v. Joseph Chi-Choi Wong (Tenn. Crim. App. 2004). “” Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512 (6). In State v.”
State of Tennessee v. Tavares Duone Braden (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011). “” Tennessee Code Annotated section 39-13-512(4) states, “Promoting prostitution” means, among other things, “[p]rocuring a prostitute for a patron” or “[s]oliciting, receiving, or agreeing to receive any benefit for [procuring a prostitute for a patron].”
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512(6) — 6 cases
State v. Boyd, 925 S.W.2d 237 (Tenn. Crim. App. 1995). “” Although there was no touching of the genitals by either party, Boyd and Lamky danced with each other while nude, Boyd touched Lamky’s buttocks, put her face in the area of Lamky’s genitals, and also sucked on the finger of the investigator.”
State ex rel. Gibbons v. Jackson, 16 S.W.3d 797 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1999). “In their briefs, both parties have referred to T.C.A. § 39-13-512. This section defines “prostitution” in the criminal context as “engaging in, or offering to engage in, sexual activity as a business .”
State of Tennessee v. Randall Ray Ward (Tenn. Crim. App. 2020). “§ 39-13-512(6). The defendant argues he cannot be guilty of promoting prostitution because both S.”
State of Tennessee v. Clyde E. Willis (Tenn. Crim. App. 2025). “See T.C.A. § 39-13-512(3) (2018); -514(a)(2) (Supp.”
State of Tennessee v. Jimmie Royston (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011).
— Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-13-512(7) — 2 cases
State of Tennessee v. Clyde E. Willis (Tenn. Crim. App. 2025). “See T.C.A. § 39-13-512(3) (2018); -514(a)(2) (Supp.”
State of Tennessee v. Jimmie Royston (Tenn. Crim. App. 2011).
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