State of Hawaii Prostitution Laws

§712-1200: Prostitution
(1) A person commits the offense of prostitution if the person engages in, or agrees or offers to engage in, sexual conduct with another person for a fee.

(2) As used in subsection (1), "sexual conduct" means "sexual penetration," "deviate sexual intercourse," or "sexual contact," as those terms are defined in section 707-700.

(3) Prostitution is a petty misdemeanor.

(4) A person convicted of committing the offense of prostitution shall be sentenced as follows:

(a) For the first offense, when the court has not deferred further proceedings pursuant to chapter 853, a mandatory fine of $500 and the person may be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of not more than thirty days or probation; provided that in the event the convicted person defaults in payment of the $500 fine, and the default was not contumacious, the court may sentence the person to perform services for the community as authorized by section 706-605(1).

(b) For any subsequent offense, a mandatory fine of $500 and a term of imprisonment of thirty days or probation, without possibility of deferral of further proceedings pursuant to chapter 853 and without possibility of suspension of sentence.

(c) For the purpose of this subsection, if the court has deferred further proceedings pursuant to chapter 853, and notwithstanding any provision of chapter 853 to the contrary, the defendant shall not be eligible to apply for expungement pursuant to section 831-3.2 until four years following discharge. A plea previously entered by a defendant under section 853-1 for a violation of this section shall be considered a prior offense. When the court has ordered a sentence of probation, the court may impose as a condition of probation that the defendant complete a course of prostitution intervention classes; provided that the court may only impose such condition for one term of probation.

(5) This section shall not apply to any member of a police department, a sheriff, or a law enforcement officer acting in the course and scope of duties.

§712-1201: Promoting prostitution; definition of terms
In sections 712-1202, 712-1203 and 712-1204:

(1) A person "advances prostitution" if, acting other than as a prostitute or a patron of a prostitute, he knowingly causes or aids a person to commit or engage in prostitution, procures or solicits patrons for prostitution, provides persons for prostitution purposes, permits premises to be regularly used for prostitution purposes, operates or assists in the operation of a house of prostitution or a prostitution enterprise, or engages in any other conduct designed to institute, aid, or facilitate an act or enterprise of prostitution.

(2) A person "profits from prostitution" if, acting other than as a prostitute receiving compensation for personally-rendered prostitution services, he accepts or receives money or other property pursuant to an agreement or understanding with any person whereby he participates or is to participate in the proceeds of prostitution activity.

§712-1202: Promoting prostitution in the first degree
(1) A person commits the offense of promoting prostitution in the first degree if the person knowingly:

(a) Advances prostitution by compelling a person by criminal coercion to engage in prostitution, or profits from such coercive conduct by another; or

(b) Advances or profits from prostitution of a person less than sixteen years old.

(2) Promoting prostitution in the first degree is a class B felony.

§712-1203: Promoting prostitution in the second degree
(1) A person commits the offense of promoting prostitution in the second degree if the person knowingly:

(a) Advances or profits from prostitution by managing, supervising, controlling, or owning, either alone or in association with others, a house of prostitution or a prostitution business or enterprise involving prostitution activity by two or more prostitutes; or

(b) Advances or profits from prostitution of a person less than eighteen years old.

(2) Promoting prostitution in the second degree is a class C felony.

§712-1204: Promoting prostitution in the third degree
(1) A person commits the offense of promoting prostitution in the third degree if the person knowingly advances or profits from prostitution.

(2) Promoting prostitution in the third degree is a misdemeanor.

§712-1206: Loitering for the purpose of engaging in or advancing prostitution
(1) For the purposes of this section, "public place" means any street, sidewalk, bridge, alley or alleyway, plaza, park, driveway, parking lot or transportation facility or the doorways and entrance ways to any building which fronts on any of the aforesaid places, or a motor vehicle in or on any such place.

(2) Any person who remains or wanders about in a public place and repeatedly beckons to or repeatedly stops, or repeatedly attempts to stop, or repeatedly attempts to engage passers-by in conversation, or repeatedly stops or attempts to stop motor vehicles, or repeatedly interferes with the free passage of other persons for the purpose of committing the crime of prostitution as that term is defined in section 712-1200, shall be guilty of a violation.

(3) Any person who remains or wanders about in a public place and repeatedly beckons to, or repeatedly stops, or repeatedly attempts to engage passers-by in conversation, or repeatedly stops or attempts to stop motor vehicles, or repeatedly interferes with the free passage of other persons for the purpose of committing the crime of advancing prostitution as that term is defined in section 712-1201(1) is guilty of a petty misdemeanor.

§712-1207: Street solicitation of prostitution; designated areas
(1) It shall be unlawful for any person within the boundaries of Waikiki and while on any public property, to offer or agree to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee.

(2) It shall be unlawful for any person within the boundaries of other areas in this State designated by county ordinance pursuant to subsection (3), and while on any public property, to offer or agree to engage in sexual conduct with another person in return for a fee.

(3) Upon a recommendation of the chief of police of a county, that county may enact an ordinance that:

(a) Designates areas, each no larger than three square miles, as zones of significant prostitution-related activity that is detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of the general public; or

(b) Alters the boundaries of any existing area under paragraph (a); provided that not more than four areas may be designated within the State.

(4) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, any person violating this section shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be sentenced to a mandatory term of thirty days imprisonment. The term of imprisonment shall be imposed immediately, regardless of whether the defendant appeals the conviction, except as provided in subsection (5).

(5) As an option to the mandatory term of thirty days imprisonment, if the court finds the option is warranted based upon the defendant's record, the court may place the defendant on probation for a period not to exceed six months, subject to the mandatory condition that the defendant observe geographic restrictions that prohibit the defendant from entering or remaining on public property, in Waikiki and other areas in the State designated by county ordinance during the hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Upon any violation of the geographic restrictions by the defendant, the court, after hearing, shall revoke the defendant's probation and immediately impose the mandatory thirty-day term of imprisonment. Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting the imposition of stricter geographic restrictions under section 706-624(2)(h).

(6) Any person charged under this section may be admitted to bail, pursuant to section 804-4, subject to the mandatory condition that the person observe geographic restrictions that prohibit the defendant from entering or remaining on public property, in Waikiki and other areas in the State designated by county ordinance during the hours from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, any person who violates these bail restrictions shall have the person's bail revoked after hearing and shall be imprisoned forthwith. Nothing contained in this subsection shall be construed as prohibiting the imposition of stricter geographic restrictions under section 804-7.1.

(7) Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, a police officer, without warrant, may arrest any person when the officer has probable cause to believe that the person has committed a violation of subsection (5) or (6), and the person shall be detained, without bail, until the hearing under the appropriate subsection can be held, which hearing shall be held as soon as reasonably practicable.

(8) For purposes of this section:

"Area" means any zone within a county that is defined with specific boundaries and designated as a zone of significant prostitution by this section or a county ordinance.

"Public property" includes any street, highway, road, sidewalk, alley, lane, bridge, parking lot, park, or other property owned or under the jurisdiction of any governmental entity or otherwise open to the public.

"Sexual conduct" has the same meaning as in section 712-1200(2).

"Waikiki" means that area of Oahu bounded by the Ala Wai canal, the ocean, and Kapahulu avenue.

(9) This section shall apply to all counties; provided that if a county enacts an ordinance to regulate street solicitation for prostitution, other than an ordinance designating an area as a zone of significant prostitution-related activity, the county ordinance shall supersede this section and no person shall be convicted under this section in that county.

§712-1208: Promoting travel for prostitution
(1) A person commits the offense of promoting travel for prostitution if the person knowingly sells or offers to sell travel services that include or facilitate travel for the purpose of engaging in what would be prostitution if occurring in the State.

(2) "Travel services" has the same meaning as in section 468L-1.

(3) Promoting travel for prostitution is a class C felony.