Legality of prostitution in the Americas varies by country. Most countries only legalized prostitution, with the act of exchanging money for sexual services legal. The level of enforcement varies by country. One country, the United States, is unique as legality of prostitution is not the responsibility of the federal government, but rather state, territorial, and federal district's responsibility. Prostitution is legal in Bermuda but related activities such as running a brothel are illegal under the Criminal Code.
Prostitution was traditionally legal as there were no laws prohibiting the exchange of sex for money or other consideration. On 20 December , the Supreme Court of Canada found the laws prohibiting brothels , public communication for the purpose of prostitution, and living on the profits of prostitution to be unconstitutional.
The ruling gave the Canadian parliament 12 months to rewrite the prostitution laws with a stay of effect so that the current laws remain in force.
Prostitution in Greenland is illegal. It did, however, refer to claims that transactional sex had sometimes been used, for example, in return for temporary housing. Prostitution in Mexico is legal under Federal law.
Each of the 31 states enacts its own prostitution laws and policies. Some Mexican cities have enacted "tolerance zones" "zonas de tolerancia" which allow regulated prostitution and function as red light districts. Prostitution laws in the United States are determined at the state level. The practice is illegal in all but one of its 50 states and is illegal in all U. Nevada is the only U. Currently 7 out of Nevada's 16 counties have active brothels.
