Prostitution laws in Trinidad and Tobago
In Trinidad and Tobago, selling and buying sex in private are not offences, but the activities around them are. The Sexual Offences Act (Ch. 11:28, as updated to 31 December 2016) makes procuring another person for prostitution punishable by fifteen years, and keeping or managing a brothel, letting or permitting premises to be used as one, knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution, soliciting 'in any place' for immoral purposes, and controlling a sex worker's movements for gain each punishable by five years. Under the Summary Offences Act, a woman loitering about and soliciting passers-by for prostitution may be dealt with as a 'rogue and vagabond' (two months). No offence aimed specifically at advertising sexual services was found.
Legal model
Legal, organisation banned. Selling and buying are legal, but brothels, procuring and organising are criminal offences.
Exchanging sex for money in private is not an offence, but the Sexual Offences Act (Ch. 11:28) criminalises procuring a person for prostitution (s. 17), brothel-keeping (s. 22), living on the earnings of prostitution and soliciting for immoral purposes 'in any place' (s. 23) and controlling a sex worker for gain (s. 24); the Summary Offences Act (Ch. 11:02) adds a street offence for women soliciting passers-by (s. 46(j)).[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Restricted Breach: criminal offence | Selling sex in private is not an offence. A person who 'in any place solicits for immoral purposes' is liable to five years under the Sexual Offences Act, and under the Summary Offences Act 'any woman loitering about and soliciting passers-by for the purpose of prostitution' may be deemed a rogue and vagabond and imprisoned for two months.[1][2] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | No provision making it an offence to pay an adult for sex was found. The soliciting offence in s. 23(1)(b) of the Sexual Offences Act is not limited to sellers.[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Illegal Criminal offence | Keeping or managing, or assisting in managing, a brothel; a tenant or occupier knowingly permitting premises to be used as a brothel or for prostitution; and a landlord letting premises knowing they will be so used each carry five years. A brothel is 'a place resorted to by persons of either sex for the purpose of prostitution'.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Procuring another for prostitution, whether or not that person is already a sex worker, or procuring a person to become an inmate of or frequent a brothel, carries fifteen years. Knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution and, for gain, controlling a sex worker's movements so as to aid or compel their prostitution each carry five years.[1] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted | No offence aimed specifically at advertising sexual services was found. The Summary Offences Act penalises exhibiting obscene prints or representations to public view (s. 46(g)), and the soliciting offence in s. 23(1)(b) of the Sexual Offences Act applies 'in any place'.[1][2] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Selling sex in private is not an offence. A person who 'in any place solicits for immoral purposes' is liable to five years under the Sexual Offences Act, and under the Summary Offences Act 'any woman loitering about and soliciting passers-by for the purpose of prostitution' may be deemed a rogue and vagabond and imprisoned for two months.[1][2]
Confidence: medium. The official PDF of the Sexual Offences Act uses a substituted font encoding; the text was decoded by hand and the section numbers were read from its arrangement of sections, so section numbers are medium confidence. How courts read 'immoral purposes' in s. 23(1)(b) was not researched.
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
No provision making it an offence to pay an adult for sex was found. The soliciting offence in s. 23(1)(b) of the Sexual Offences Act is not limited to sellers.[1]
Confidence: medium. Absence of an offence in the two acts reviewed; the Trafficking in Persons Act was not checked.
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Keeping or managing, or assisting in managing, a brothel; a tenant or occupier knowingly permitting premises to be used as a brothel or for prostitution; and a landlord letting premises knowing they will be so used each carry five years. A brothel is 'a place resorted to by persons of either sex for the purpose of prostitution'.[1]
Confidence: medium. The official PDF of the Sexual Offences Act uses a substituted font encoding; the text was decoded by hand and the section numbers were read from its arrangement of sections, so section numbers are medium confidence.
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Procuring another for prostitution, whether or not that person is already a sex worker, or procuring a person to become an inmate of or frequent a brothel, carries fifteen years. Knowingly living on the earnings of prostitution and, for gain, controlling a sex worker's movements so as to aid or compel their prostitution each carry five years.[1]
Confidence: medium. The official PDF of the Sexual Offences Act uses a substituted font encoding; the text was decoded by hand and the section numbers were read from its arrangement of sections, so section numbers are medium confidence.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
No offence aimed specifically at advertising sexual services was found. The Summary Offences Act penalises exhibiting obscene prints or representations to public view (s. 46(g)), and the soliciting offence in s. 23(1)(b) of the Sexual Offences Act applies 'in any place'.[1][2]
Confidence: low. Inference from the absence of a specific provision in the acts reviewed; electronic-communications, obscenity and trafficking laws were not reviewed for platform liability.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 11:28, Laws of Trinidad and Tobago (unofficial version updated to 31 December 2016) Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 11:28 (updated to 31 December 2016) s. 17 · s. 22 · s. 23 · s. 24 | Procuration (s. 17), suppression of brothels (s. 22), living on earnings and soliciting (s. 23) and aiding prostitution for gain (s. 24).[1] | |
| Summary Offences Act, Chapter 11:02, Laws of Trinidad and Tobago (unofficial version updated to 31 December 2016) Summary Offences Act, Chapter 11:02 (updated to 31 December 2016) s. 46 · s. 53 | Women loitering and soliciting passers-by for prostitution as rogues and vagabonds (s. 46(j)); permitting 'known prostitutes' to remain in places of public resort (s. 53).[2] |
Sources
- Sexual Offences Act, Chapter 11:28, Laws of Trinidad and Tobago (unofficial version updated to 31 December 2016). Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Summary Offences Act, Chapter 11:02, Laws of Trinidad and Tobago (unofficial version updated to 31 December 2016). Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026