Prostitution Reform Act 2003

Preliminary provisions

3: Purpose

You could also call this:

"This law aims to make sex work safe and fair for those involved, while protecting their rights and health."

Illustration for Prostitution Reform Act 2003

The purpose of this Act is to make prostitution legal, but it does not mean the law agrees with it. You need to know that this law aims to protect the rights of sex workers and keep them safe from people who might take advantage of them. This law also wants to make sure sex workers are healthy and safe at work.

This law is designed to help keep everyone healthy and it does not allow people under 18 years old to be involved in prostitution. The law also makes some other changes to help with these issues. You should understand that the law is trying to balance different things to make sure everyone is protected.

The law is trying to make things fair and safe for sex workers, and it wants to stop people from getting hurt or treated unfairly.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM197821.

This page was last updated on 27 May 2025 — View changes

2: Commencement, or

"When the Prostitution Reform Act 2003 becomes a law, it starts the next day, except for a few parts that start six months later."

4: Interpretation, or

"What words mean in the Prostitution Reform Act"

Part 1Preliminary provisions

3Purpose

The purpose of this Act is to decriminalise prostitution (while not endorsing or morally sanctioning prostitution or its use) and to create a framework that—
safeguards the human rights of sex workers and protects them from exploitation:
promotes the welfare and occupational health and safety of sex workers:
is conducive to public health:
prohibits the use in prostitution of persons under 18 years of age:
implements certain other related reforms.