Tex. Codes » Penal Code · TITLE 9. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER AND DECENCY · CHAPTER 43. PUBLIC INDECENCY
Texas Codes

Tex. Penal Code § 43.02 (2026)

Prostitution

✓ laws through the 89th Legislature (2025)
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section TX-LEGstatutes.capitol.texas.gov Justiaon Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

Sec. 43.02. PROSTITUTION.

(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly offers or agrees to receive a fee from another to engage in sexual conduct.

(b-1) Repealed by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 685 (H.B. 29), Sec. 44(2), eff. September 1, 2017.

(c) An offense under Subsection (a) is a Class B misdemeanor, except that the offense is:

(1) a Class A misdemeanor if the actor has previously been convicted one or two times of an offense under Subsection (a); or

(2) a state jail felony if the actor has previously been convicted three or more times of an offense under Subsection (a).

(d) It is a defense to prosecution for an offense under Subsection (a) that the actor engaged in the conduct that constitutes the offense because the actor was the victim of conduct that constitutes an offense under Section 20A.02 or 43.05.

(e) A conviction may be used for purposes of enhancement under this section or enhancement under Subchapter D, Chapter 12, but not under both this section and Subchapter D, Chapter 12. For purposes of enhancement of penalties under this section or Subchapter D, Chapter 12, a defendant is previously convicted of an offense under this section if the defendant was adjudged guilty of the offense or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere in return for a grant of deferred adjudication, regardless of whether the sentence for the offense was ever imposed or whether the sentence was probated and the defendant was subsequently discharged from community supervision.

Acts 1973, 63rd Leg., p. 883, ch. 399, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1974. Amended by Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 757, ch. 286, Sec. 1, eff. May 27, 1977; Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.01, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 987, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1002 (H.B. 4009), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2009.

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 515 (H.B. 2014), Sec. 4.02, eff. September 1, 2011.

Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1252 (H.B. 8), Sec. 15, eff. September 1, 2013.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 332 (H.B. 10), Sec. 14, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1273 (S.B. 825), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 685 (H.B. 29), Sec. 36, eff. September 1, 2017.

Reenacted and amended by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 685 (H.B. 29), Sec. 37, eff. September 1, 2017.

Amended by:

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 685 (H.B. 29), Sec. 44(2), eff. September 1, 2017.

Reenacted and amended by Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1038 (H.B. 1808), Sec. 8, eff. September 1, 2017.

Amended by:

Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 413 (S.B. 20), Sec. 2.05, eff. September 1, 2019.

Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 807 (H.B. 1540), Sec. 29, eff. September 1, 2021.

Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 807 (H.B. 1540), Sec. 61, eff. September 1, 2021.

Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1049 (S.B. 1831), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2021.

Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 93 (S.B. 1527), Sec. 2.04, eff. September 1, 2023.

Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 768 (H.B. 4595), Sec. 17.003, eff. September 1, 2023.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 131 cases (26 in the last 5 years), 1974–2026 · leading case: Austin v. State, 794 S.W.2d 408 (Tex. App.—Austin 1990).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Austin v. State, 794 S.W.2d 408 (Tex. App.—Austin 1990). · cites it 6× “The officer's opinion that "Swedish Deep Muscle Rub" meant "prostitution" entailed necessarily a conclusion by him regarding the elements of "prostitution" set out in Tex.Pen.Code Ann. § 43.02 (1989). Hence, his opinion was inadmissible, especially when the opinion referred to…”
My Thi Tieu v. State, 299 S.W.3d 216 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2009). · cites it 2× “Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 43.02 (a)(1), (c) (Vernon 2003).”
United States v. Nazario Gonzalez-Medina, 757 F.3d 425 (5th Cir. 2014). · cites it 2× “§ 2251 (a) (child pornography); Tex. Penal Code §§ 43.02, 22.011 (statutory rape and child 9 Case: 13-40927 Document: 00512685688 Page: 10 Date Filed: 07/02/2014 No.”
State v. Denise Deane Nelson, 530 S.W.3d 186 (Tex. App.—Waco 2016). · cites it 4× “Laws 3681 (current version at Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 43.02 (a)(2), (b) (West Supp.”
In re B.W., 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010). · cites it 4× “” Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a)(1). “A person acts knowingly, or with knowledge, with respect to the nature of his conduct .”
Francisco J. Castrejon v. State, 428 S.W.3d 179 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014). · cites it 2× “See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 43.02 (a)(1) (Vernon Supp.”
Dinkins v. United States, 374 A.2d 292 (D.C. 1977). · cites it 2× “[2] See Wechsler, Jones and Korn, Treatment of Inchoate Crimes in the Model Penal Code of the American Law Institute: Attempt, Solicitation and Conspiracy, 61 Colum.”
Dornbusch v. State, 156 S.W.3d 859 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 2005). “See Tex. Pen.Code Ann. § 43.02 (Vernon 2003).”
Steinbach v. State, 979 S.W.2d 836 (Tex. App.—Austin 1998). · cites it 2× “See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 43.02 (a)(1) (West 1994).”
McLean v. State, 312 S.W.3d 912 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2010). “See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 43.02 (Vernon 2009).”
Frieling v. State, 67 S.W.3d 462 (Tex. App.—Austin 2002). “Tex Pen.Code Ann. § 43.02 (West 1994). 4 The culpable mental state of “knowingly” was retained.”
Young Sun Lee v. State, 681 S.W.2d 656 (Tex. App. 1984). · cites it 2× “Tex.Penal Code Ann. § 43.01(4) (Vernon 1974).”
Show all 131 citing cases →
Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a): 18 cases
In Re Bdsd, 289 S.W.3d 889 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2009).
Jane Doe AS v. Salesforce Inc, 747 F. Supp. 3d 970 (N.D. Tex. 2024).
In Re BW, 274 S.W.3d 179 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2008).
Hui Zhu Lu v. the State of Texas, No. 05-22-00235-CR (Tex. App.—Dallas May 31, 2023).
Yan Qiu Zhao v. the State of Texas, No. 08-19-00312-CR (Tex. App.—El Paso Aug. 9, 2021).
Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a)(1): 24 cases
Austin v. State, 794 S.W.2d 408 (Tex. App.—Austin 1990). “The officer's opinion that "Swedish Deep Muscle Rub" meant "prostitution" entailed necessarily a conclusion by him regarding the elements of "prostitution" set out in Tex.Pen.Code Ann. § 43.02 (1989). Hence, his opinion was inadmissible, especially when the opinion referred to…”
Francisco J. Castrejon v. State, 428 S.W.3d 179 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2014). “See Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 43.02 (a)(1) (Vernon Supp.”
Cisneros v. State, 697 S.W.2d 718 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi 1985).
Anguiano v. State, 774 S.W.2d 344 (Tex. App. 1989).
In re B.W., 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010). “” Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a)(1). “A person acts knowingly, or with knowledge, with respect to the nature of his conduct .”
Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a)(2): 7 cases
State v. Denise Deane Nelson, 530 S.W.3d 186 (Tex. App.—Waco 2016). “Laws 3681 (current version at Tex. Penal Code Ann. § 43.02 (a)(2), (b) (West Supp.”
Jackson v. State, 880 S.W.2d 432 (Tex. App. 1994).
In re B.W., 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010). “” Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a)(1). “A person acts knowingly, or with knowledge, with respect to the nature of his conduct .”
Lozano v. State, 650 S.W.2d 137 (Tex. App. 1983).
In Re BW, 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010).
Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(b): 7 cases
Rodolfo Nino Aleman v. State, 497 S.W.3d 518 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2016).
Israel Cardoso-Reyna v. State, No. 03-19-00050-CR (Tex. App.—Austin Jan. 22, 2021).
Rhoades, Dustin Ryan, No. PD-1350-15 (Tex. Dec. 1, 2015).
Rhoades, Dustin Ryan, No. PD-1350-15 (Tex. Crim. App. Nov. 17, 2015).
TURLEY, ANDREW JAMES v. the State of Texas, 691 S.W.3d 612 (Tex. Crim. App. 2024).
Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(c): 6 cases
In re B.W., 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010). “” Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a)(1). “A person acts knowingly, or with knowledge, with respect to the nature of his conduct .”
Smith v. State, 176 S.W.3d 438 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2004).
Brady v. Fry, 517 S.W.2d 304 (Tex. Civ. App.—Beaumont 1974).
In Re BW, 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010).
Mary Kuol v. State, No. 14-14-01008-CR (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] July 30, 2015).
Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(c)(2): 2 cases
in Re Sylvia Martinez, No. 04-15-00348-CR (Tex. App.—San Antonio Aug. 26, 2015).
in Re Sylvia Martinez, No. WR-83,996-01 (Tex. Crim. App. Oct. 12, 2015).
Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(d): 4 cases
In re B.W., 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010). “” Tex. Penal Code § 43.02(a)(1). “A person acts knowingly, or with knowledge, with respect to the nature of his conduct .”
In Re BW, 313 S.W.3d 818 (Tex. 2010).
Rhoades, Dustin Ryan, No. PD-1350-15 (Tex. Dec. 1, 2015).
Rhoades, Dustin Ryan, No. PD-1350-15 (Tex. Crim. App. Nov. 17, 2015).
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.