Prostitution laws in Uruguay
Uruguay regulates sex work under Law 17.515 of 2002. Sex work is lawful for people over 18 who are listed in the National Sex Work Register, kept by the Ministries of Public Health and the Interior, and who hold a health card issued free of charge after periodic medical checks; registered workers may not be detained for the activity alone. Sex work may be offered in zones set by each departmental government and in licensed brothels, whiskerías and similar venues, which need municipal and police authorisation and may be run only by a natural person. Breaches by workers or venue owners carry fines of 5 to 100 indexed units. Exploiting another person's prostitution for profit remains a crime under Law 8.080. A 2024 bill backed by a Chamber committee would abolish the register and the health card.
Legal model
Regulation (legal & licensed). Selling sex and running venues are legal under a licensing or registration regime.
Law 17.515 of 2002 declares sex work lawful when carried out under its conditions: workers over 18 must be in the National Sex Work Register and hold a valid health card, and brothels, whiskerías and similar venues need a municipal licence and police authorisation. The 1927 procuring law (Law 8.080) still punishes exploiting another person's prostitution for profit, and Law 17.515 presumes that offence where a venue operator takes an excessive share.[1][2]
At a glance
| Question | Status | In short |
|---|---|---|
| Selling sexual services | Licensed Breach: administrative offence | Sex work is lawful for people over 18 who are listed in the National Sex Work Register and hold a valid health card. Registration is voluntary or ex officio, the card is valid nationwide for three years, and workers who skip health checks for a year are struck off. Working in breach of the law's conditions is fined 5 to 100 UR; registered workers cannot be detained by police for the activity alone.[1] |
| Buying sexual services | Legal | Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. Law 17.515 regulates sex workers and venues and contains no sanction for clients.[1] |
| Brothels and managed venues | Licensed Breach: administrative offence | Brothels (any premises offering sex work, whatever their name), whiskerías and "bares de camareras" may operate with a municipal licence and authorisation from the departmental police headquarters. Only a natural person may apply and is liable for violations; minors may not be employed in any role; gambling and noisy entertainment are banned. Therapeutic massage houses may not host sex work.[1] |
| Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping) | Illegal Criminal offence | Exploiting another person's prostitution for profit, by contributing to it in any way, is punished with 2 to 8 years even with the person's consent; inducing or determining someone into prostitution for profit carries 3 to 12 months. A venue operator who takes a price giving an excessive benefit may be presumed guilty of this offence.[1][2] |
| Advertising sexual services | Restricted Breach: administrative offence | Law 17.515 has no specific rules on advertising. It allows brothels to display signs that do not offend public morals or order; a breach falls under the law's general fines.[1] |
The law in detail
Selling sexual services
Sex work is lawful for people over 18 who are listed in the National Sex Work Register and hold a valid health card. Registration is voluntary or ex officio, the card is valid nationwide for three years, and workers who skip health checks for a year are struck off. Working in breach of the law's conditions is fined 5 to 100 UR; registered workers cannot be detained by police for the activity alone.[1]
Registration data are confidential and may be used for health or police purposes, at the request of a court or the Ministry of Public Health, or by the person concerned (art. 13). A person found working unregistered who declares they will stop may avoid registration with a warning (art. 10). Sex work may be offered in zones and hours fixed by each Intendencia with the health and police authorities, after a non-binding consultation of the local sex workers' organisation, and never where there are schools (arts. 18-21).
Checked 30 October 2026
Buying sexual services
Paying an adult for sex is not an offence. Law 17.515 regulates sex workers and venues and contains no sanction for clients.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Brothels and managed venues
Brothels (any premises offering sex work, whatever their name), whiskerías and "bares de camareras" may operate with a municipal licence and authorisation from the departmental police headquarters. Only a natural person may apply and is liable for violations; minors may not be employed in any role; gambling and noisy entertainment are banned. Therapeutic massage houses may not host sex work.[1]
Checked 30 October 2026
Third parties profiting (procuring / pimping)
Exploiting another person's prostitution for profit, by contributing to it in any way, is punished with 2 to 8 years even with the person's consent; inducing or determining someone into prostitution for profit carries 3 to 12 months. A venue operator who takes a price giving an excessive benefit may be presumed guilty of this offence.[1][2]
Article 1 of Law 8.080 (as amended by Law 16.707 of 1995) states that the victim's consent does not exclude liability. Article 2 sets a minimum of four years where the victim is under 18, force or deceit is used, or the offender is a police officer, relative or partner. Article 34 of Law 17.515 links the procuring offence to venue charges that give the operator or a third party an excessive benefit.
Checked 30 October 2026
Advertising sexual services
Law 17.515 has no specific rules on advertising. It allows brothels to display signs that do not offend public morals or order; a breach falls under the law's general fines.[1]
Confidence: medium. Other laws on media, advertising or online platforms were not reviewed.
Checked 30 October 2026
Key legislation
| Law | What it does here | In force |
|---|---|---|
| Ley N° 17.515, Trabajo sexual Law 17.515 on sex work (2002) arts. 1-35 | Declares sex work lawful under its conditions and sets up the register, health card, zoning and venue licensing.[1] | |
| Ley N° 8.080, Proxenetismo Law 8.080 on procuring (1927) arts. 1-5 | Criminalises exploiting and inducing prostitution for profit.[2] |
Pending and under review
In parliament · updated August 2024
Proyecto de ley de protección del trabajo sexual (Carpeta N° 4431 de 2024)
Bill drawn up after repeated hearings with sex workers and recommended for approval by a majority of the Chamber of Deputies' Labour and Social Security Committee in August 2024. It would replace Law 17.515, abolish the National Sex Work Register and the health card, which the committee considered a source of discrimination, and drop the chapter on fines. Its status after the change of legislature in 2025 could not be confirmed.[3]
Timeline
Sources
- Ley N° 17.515, Trabajo sexual (Law No. 17,515 on sex work). IMPO, Centro de Información Oficial, 9 July 2002. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Ley N° 8.080, Proxenetismo (Law No. 8,080 on procuring). IMPO, Centro de Información Oficial, 1 June 1927. legislation · accessed 30 October 2026
- Comisión de Legislación del Trabajo y Seguridad Social, Anexo I al Repartido N° 1160, Carpeta N° 4431 de 2024: Protección del trabajo sexual (Labour and Social Security Committee report on the bill for the protection of sex work (file 4431 of 2024)). Cámara de Representantes del Uruguay, August 2024. parliament · accessed 30 October 2026