Here is just an overview of some of the legalities related to this hobby.  This information is based from Los Angeles County but may be relevant to your specific area of the country.

I. ESCORTS

A. Summary of the County Code.

The Code explains that “[e]very person conducting, managing or carrying on any escort bureau shall first procure a license and pay an annual license fee in the amount set forth in Section 7.14.010 of this title[.]”

The license fee is $1,663.00 for the first year of operation.  Renewing the license each subsequent year will cost $1,380.00.  

B.  Penalties.

Any person operating such a business without a license is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not exceeding $1,000.00 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.  Each such person is guilty of a separate offense for each day that the business operates without a license.

II.  MASSAGES

A.   Summary of the County Code.

The County Code explains that “[e]very person conducting or managing a massage parlor, or any other place where facial massages, fomentations, massage, electric or magnetic treatment, acupressure, shiatsu, alcohol rubs, Russian, Swedish or Turkish baths are administered or given, or any school of massage which performs any such activity for any member of the public must first procure a license for each massage-oriented business.  

The first-time license fee to massage adults costs 2,193.00; for children, $2,027.00.  The renewal fees for subsequent years of operation are $1,596.00 for adult massage businesses, and 184.00 for child massage businesses.

B.   Penalties.

The penalty here is the same as operating an escort service without a license.


III.  SOLICITATION

A.  Summary of the California Penal Code.

The Penal Code explains that “[e]very person . . . [w]ho solicits or who agrees to engage in or who engages in any act of prostitution[]” is guilty of disturbing the peace, a misdemeanor.

Solicitation is specifically defined as follows:  “A person agrees to engage in an act of prostitution when, with specific intent to so engage, he or she manifests an acceptance of an offer to so engage, regardless of whether the offer or solicitation was made by a person who also possessed the specific intent to engage in prostitution.  No agreement to engage in an act of prostitution shall constitute a crime unless some act, in addition to the agreement, is done within this state in furtherance of the commission of an act of prostitution by the person agreeing to engage in that act.  

“Prostitution," as used in the Code, is defined as “any lewd act between persons for money or other consideration.”

B. Penalties.

Any person who commits solicitation is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $1,000.00 or by imprisonment in the County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or by both such fine and imprisonment.


-- Modified on 5/21/2002 1:24:12 PM