New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 230.02 — Patronizing a person for prostitution; definitions
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 230: Prostitution Offenses, New York Penal Law.
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 230.02
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
230.02 Patronizing a person for prostitution; definitions.
1. A person patronizes a person for prostitution when:
(a) Pursuant to a prior understanding, he or she pays a fee to another
person as compensation for such person or a third person having engaged
in sexual conduct with him or her; or
(b) He or she pays or agrees to pay a fee to another person pursuant
to an understanding that in return therefor such person or a third
person will engage in sexual conduct with him or her; or
(c) He or she solicits or requests another person to engage in sexual
conduct with him or her in return for a fee.
2. As used in this article, "person who is patronized" means the
person with whom the defendant engaged in sexual conduct or was to have
engaged in sexual conduct pursuant to the understanding, or the person
who was solicited or requested by the defendant to engage in sexual
conduct.
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Legal terms used in this section
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.