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◬ Law & Legal·1 min·Updated Mar 12, 2026

What is Solicitation?

Solicitation in Criminal Law

Quick Answer

Solicitation is the act of encouraging or requesting someone to commit a crime. It is considered a crime in itself, even if the crime is not ultimately carried out.

Overview

Solicitation involves asking or persuading someone to engage in illegal activity. For example, if a person offers money to another to commit theft, that person is soliciting a crime. This act is taken seriously in criminal law because it can lead to actual crimes being committed and can create a culture of crime. The law treats solicitation as a crime because it shows intent to commit a crime, even if the solicited crime does not happen. Prosecutors can charge someone with solicitation based on their words or actions that indicate they want to encourage someone else to commit a crime. This means that even talking about committing a crime can have legal consequences. Understanding solicitation is important because it helps prevent crime before it happens. By recognizing and addressing solicitation, law enforcement can intervene early, potentially stopping serious crimes from occurring. For instance, if someone is caught trying to hire a hitman, they can be charged with solicitation, which helps to protect potential victims.

Frequently Asked Questions

The legal consequences can vary by jurisdiction, but solicitation is generally treated as a serious offense. Depending on the crime being solicited, penalties can include fines and imprisonment.
Yes, a person can be charged with solicitation even if the crime they are trying to encourage does not occur. The act of trying to persuade someone to commit a crime is itself a criminal offense.
Solicitation is about encouraging someone to commit a crime, while conspiracy involves an agreement between two or more people to commit a crime. In conspiracy, there is usually a plan and some steps taken towards carrying out the crime.