Prostitution laws in the Central African RepublicRépublique centrafricaine
In the Central African Republic, prostitution itself is not an offence under the Penal Code (Law No. 10.001 of 6 January 2010), but publicly soliciting persons of either sex for debauchery by gestures, words, writing or any other means carries one month and a day to one year in prison or a fine (Article 89), and public soliciting is also listed as a fifth-class petty offence (Article 442). A person who habitually aids, assists or protects another's prostitution or soliciting, shares in its proceeds, recruits or keeps an adult for prostitution, or acts as an intermediary is a procurer, punishable by one to five years (Article 90), and three to ten years where a minor, coercion, abuse of authority or deceit is involved (Article 91). There is no separate brothel offence and no client offence.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
The 2010 Penal Code does not make selling or buying sex an offence, but it punishes public soliciting for debauchery as a misdemeanour (Article 89) and public soliciting as a petty offence (Article 442), and criminalises procuring broadly (Articles 90–91). Because the seller can be prosecuted for soliciting, this sits close to the prohibition model in practice; enforcement was not checked.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Selling sex is not itself an offence, but publicly soliciting or attempting to solicit persons of either sex for debauchery, by gestures, words, writing or any other means, is punishable by one month and a day to one year in prison or a fine of CFAF 100,002 to 500,000 (Article 89). Public soliciting is also a fifth-class contravention (Article 442(2); fine of CFAF 20,001 to 100,000 and up to one month, Article 434).[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | No provision makes buying sex from an adult an offence, and the Code has no offence of adultery (adultery appears only as an excuse for violence). Habitually exciting, favouring or facilitating the debauchery of a person under 18 is punishable by three to ten years (Article 92).[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | There is no specific offence of keeping a brothel, but running premises for others' prostitution falls within the procuring offence: habitually aiding, assisting or protecting another person's prostitution, sharing in its proceeds, or keeping a person for prostitution, punishable by one to five years and a fine of CFAF 100,002 to 1,000,000 (Article 90).[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | A procurer, punishable by one to five years and a fine of CFAF 100,002 to 1,000,000, is anyone who habitually and knowingly aids, assists or protects another's prostitution or soliciting; shares in its proceeds; lives with a sex worker without sufficient own resources; hires or keeps an adult for prostitution even with consent; or acts as an intermediary (Article 90). Minors, coercion, abuse of authority or deceit raise this to three to ten years (Article 91).[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Illegal Criminal offence | No provision specifically on advertising sexual services was found, but public soliciting for debauchery by "writing or any other means" is an offence (Article 89), which on its wording covers published offers, and a third party who habitually assists such soliciting is a procurer (Article 90(1)). Pornography is defined as representation offending public morals, but the offence in Article 111 concerns children only.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not itself an offence, but publicly soliciting or attempting to solicit persons of either sex for debauchery, by gestures, words, writing or any other means, is punishable by one month and a day to one year in prison or a fine of CFAF 100,002 to 500,000 (Article 89). Public soliciting is also a fifth-class contravention (Article 442(2); fine of CFAF 20,001 to 100,000 and up to one month, Article 434).[1][2]
Confidence: medium. Read in the Equipo Nizkor transcription of the Journal officiel special edition of 15 January 2010 and checked against a PDF copy hosted by ILGA; neither is the official gazette itself. No later amendment to these articles was found, but the absence of amendments was not confirmed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No provision makes buying sex from an adult an offence, and the Code has no offence of adultery (adultery appears only as an excuse for violence). Habitually exciting, favouring or facilitating the debauchery of a person under 18 is punishable by three to ten years (Article 92).[1]
Confidence: medium. Inferred from a full-text search of an unofficial transcription.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
There is no specific offence of keeping a brothel, but running premises for others' prostitution falls within the procuring offence: habitually aiding, assisting or protecting another person's prostitution, sharing in its proceeds, or keeping a person for prostitution, punishable by one to five years and a fine of CFAF 100,002 to 1,000,000 (Article 90).[1]
Confidence: medium. Classification inferred from the wording of Article 90; no case law found.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
A procurer, punishable by one to five years and a fine of CFAF 100,002 to 1,000,000, is anyone who habitually and knowingly aids, assists or protects another's prostitution or soliciting; shares in its proceeds; lives with a sex worker without sufficient own resources; hires or keeps an adult for prostitution even with consent; or acts as an intermediary (Article 90). Minors, coercion, abuse of authority or deceit raise this to three to ten years (Article 91).[1][2]
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No provision specifically on advertising sexual services was found, but public soliciting for debauchery by "writing or any other means" is an offence (Article 89), which on its wording covers published offers, and a third party who habitually assists such soliciting is a procurer (Article 90(1)). Pornography is defined as representation offending public morals, but the offence in Article 111 concerns children only.[1]
Confidence: low. Applying Articles 89 and 90 to online ads and ad sites is an inference from their wording, not from case law. Press and electronic communications laws (including a 2025 press law) were not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Loi n° 10.001 du 6 janvier 2010 portant Code pénal centrafricain (Journal officiel de la République centrafricaine, édition spéciale, 15 janvier 2010) Law No. 10.001 of 6 January 2010 on the Central African Penal Code arts 89–92 · art. 151 · art. 442 | Punishes public soliciting (art. 89, art. 442), procuring with aggravations (arts 90–91) and corruption of minors (art. 92); trafficking for the exploitation of prostitution is in art. 151.[1] |
Timeline
Sources
- Loi n° 10.001 du 6 janvier 2010 portant Code pénal centrafricain (Journal officiel de la République centrafricaine, édition spéciale, 15 janvier 2010) (Law No. 10.001 of 6 January 2010 on the Central African Penal Code). Equipo Nizkor (transcription of the Journal officiel), 15 January 2010. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Loi n° 10.001 portant Code pénal centrafricain (PDF) (Law No. 10.001 on the Central African Penal Code (PDF copy)). ILGA World database, 6 January 2010. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026