Full decriminalisation of sex work is the removal of all sex work-specific criminal and licensing laws and police powers. This includes any regulation that treats sex workers, sex industry premises, clients of sex workers, or third parties differently to other workers and industries.

Under decriminalisation, sex work becomes regulated through existing industrial, planning, civil and criminal laws. This means that decriminalisation gives sex workers access to workplace health and safety protections, and industrial rights mechanisms.

In Australia, only New South Wales, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Queensland have decriminalised sex work. New South Wales and Victoria also continue to criminalise some street-based sex work. Scarlet Alliance and our members continue to campaign for full decriminalisation across every state and territory in unceded Australia.