Prostitution Prostitution laws in Sri Lankaශ්රී ලංකාව / இலங்கை
Selling and buying sex in private are not offences in Sri Lanka. Two colonial-era ordinances regulate the surroundings. Under the Vagrants Ordinance, a "common prostitute" wandering in a public street and behaving in a riotous or indecent manner is an "idle and disorderly person" who can be arrested without a warrant. Soliciting any person in a public place for illicit sexual intercourse carries up to six months or a fine. Knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution, or systematically procuring, is punishable by up to two years. The Brothels Ordinance makes it an offence to keep or manage a brothel or to let premises for one. Courts have read "brothel" narrowly: a guest house where couples meet is not one.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
No statute makes the exchange of sex for money between adults an offence; a Colombo (Fort) magistrate held in 2020 that "prostitution is not an offence per se under our law". Brothel keeping (Brothels Ordinance 1889), living on the earnings of prostitution and public soliciting (Vagrants Ordinance 1841) are offences. Police use the Vagrants Ordinance's "common prostitute" clause against women in public places, so in practice sex workers themselves face arrest.[1][2][3]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Selling sex is not itself an offence. A "common prostitute wandering in the public street or highway, or in any place of public resort, and behaving in a riotous or indecent manner" commits an offence (up to 14 days or a fine on first conviction), and soliciting in a public place carries up to six months, a fine of up to 100 rupees, or both.[1][2][3] |
| Buying sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Paying for sex in private is not an offence. The public soliciting offence applies to "any person" who, in or about a public place, solicits any person for illicit sexual intercourse or indecency, so it can reach a client who solicits in public.[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Keeping, managing or assisting in managing a brothel, knowingly permitting premises to be used as a brothel or for habitual prostitution, and letting premises knowing they will be so used are offences. The Ordinance does not define "brothel". Courts require proof that the accused managed the place by providing women; a guest house used by couples is not a brothel.[2] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Knowingly living wholly or partly on the earnings of prostitution, or systematically procuring persons for illicit intercourse, is punishable by up to six months on summary conviction or up to two years on indictment. A man living with a sex worker, or anyone controlling her movements, is presumed to be living on her earnings unless proved otherwise.[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | No offence aimed at advertising sexual services was found. Soliciting "in or about any public place" for illicit sexual intercourse is an offence under the Vagrants Ordinance, and exhibiting obscene prints or pictures in public is punishable as a rogue and vagabond.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex is not itself an offence. A "common prostitute wandering in the public street or highway, or in any place of public resort, and behaving in a riotous or indecent manner" commits an offence (up to 14 days or a fine on first conviction), and soliciting in a public place carries up to six months, a fine of up to 100 rupees, or both.[1][2][3]
The term "common prostitute" in section 3(1)(b) is not defined. Under section 3(2) police may arrest without a warrant anyone deemed an idle and disorderly person. A National STD/AIDS Control Programme guide for police states that possession of a condom does not show that any offence has been committed.
Confidence: medium. The Ordinance text was read from the consolidated Cap. 32 reproduced by the University of Minnesota Human Rights Library; Sri Lanka's official LawNet portal was not reached. The 2020 magistrate's ruling is known from press reporting; a magistrate's decision does not bind other courts.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying for sex in private is not an offence. The public soliciting offence applies to "any person" who, in or about a public place, solicits any person for illicit sexual intercourse or indecency, so it can reach a client who solicits in public.[1]
Confidence: medium. Read from an unofficial reproduction of the consolidated Ordinance. How often clients are prosecuted was not found.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Keeping, managing or assisting in managing a brothel, knowingly permitting premises to be used as a brothel or for habitual prostitution, and letting premises knowing they will be so used are offences. The Ordinance does not define "brothel". Courts require proof that the accused managed the place by providing women; a guest house used by couples is not a brothel.[2]
Confidence: medium. The Brothels Ordinance was read only as quoted in the National STD/AIDS Control Programme's legal guide, which does not state the penalties; the consolidated text could not be opened.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Knowingly living wholly or partly on the earnings of prostitution, or systematically procuring persons for illicit intercourse, is punishable by up to six months on summary conviction or up to two years on indictment. A man living with a sex worker, or anyone controlling her movements, is presumed to be living on her earnings unless proved otherwise.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. The Penal Code also contains procuration and trafficking offences added by amendments in 1995, 1998 and 2006 (per the police guide); their section numbers and penalties were not checked against the official text.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence aimed at advertising sexual services was found. Soliciting "in or about any public place" for illicit sexual intercourse is an offence under the Vagrants Ordinance, and exhibiting obscene prints or pictures in public is punishable as a rogue and vagabond.[1]
Confidence: low. Online advertising, platform liability and the Online Safety Act 2024 were not assessed because the official texts could not be opened.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Vagrants Ordinance, Chapter 32 (Ordinances Nos. 4 of 1841 ... 20 of 1947) Vagrants Ordinance (No. 4 of 1841, Cap. 32, as amended) s. 3(1)(b) · s. 7 · s. 9 | "Common prostitute" behaving riotously in public, public soliciting, living on the earnings of prostitution and procuring.[1] | 1 January 1842 |
| Laws Concerning Commercial Sex and HIV AIDS Prevention Brothels Ordinance (1889), as quoted in the National STD/AIDS Control Programme's guide for police s. 2 | Offences of keeping a brothel and permitting or letting premises for a brothel or habitual prostitution.[2] |
Timeline
- 1 January 1842The Vagrants Ordinance (No. 4 of 1841) comes into force under British colonial rule.[1]
- February 2020A Fort (Colombo) magistrate acquits a woman arrested in a brothel, holding that "prostitution is not an offence per se under our law". Police thereafter rely on section 3 of the Vagrants Ordinance rather than the Brothels Ordinance.[3]
Sources
- Vagrants Ordinance, Chapter 32 (Ordinances Nos. 4 of 1841 ... 20 of 1947). University of Minnesota Human Rights Library (reproduction of the Legislative Enactments of Sri Lanka). legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Laws Concerning Commercial Sex and HIV AIDS Prevention. National STD/AIDS Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka (prepared with Sri Lanka Police legal officers). government · accessed 30 October 2026
- Backlash against police use of archaic law to arrest female sex workers. The Sunday Times (Sri Lanka), 11 April 2021. news · accessed 30 October 2026