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Strange Laws

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Strange Laws, some still on the books

There were a lot of laws enacted a long time ago that would not make sense in todays world. Some of these laws still remain on the books. Some of them are just out of date while others are hilarious and make you wonder why they were ever needed.

While every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the information below, some sources may not be totally correct.

What you'll find here

You can click on the links below to quickly go to what you want to see, but I hope you will read all of what is here.
  1. Strange laws in these States
  2. Strange and Unusual Laws in Delaware, Florida and Georgia
  3. What's laws seem odd in these states?
  4. Kansas through Maryland - What do they have?
  5. Massachusettes through Nebraska
  6. New Hampsire through North Dakota
  7. Ohio through Rhode Island
  8. South Carolina through Vermont
  9. Virginia to Wyoming
  10. What are your favorite strange and unusual laws.
  11. Find more on strange laws at Amazon
  12. Know of one not listed, let me know and I'll add it.
  13. Love This Lens?

A through C States

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado and Connecticut

Strange laws in these States





Do any of these laws make sense? Are some of them still on the books? Some just might be. Which one do you think is the most out of date or ridiculous?

  • Alabama - It is illegal to maim oneself to escape duty.
  • Alabama - Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.
  • Alabama - Boogers may not be flicked into the wind.
  • Alabama - It is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile.
  • Alabama - You cannot drive barefooted.
  • Alabama - It is illegal to sell peanuts in Lee County after sundown on Wednesday.
  • Alaska - you can't look at a moose from an airplane.
  • Alaska - Anchorage -You cannot tie your pet dog to the roof of your car.
  • Alaska - Even though it is legal to shoot a bear, it is illegal to wake a bear for the purpose of taking a photograph.
  • Alaska - Anchorage - Persons may not live in a trailer as it is being hauled across the city.
  • Arizona - you can't walk through a hotel lobby in spurs.
  • Arizona - You could get up to 25 years in prison for cutting down a cactus.
  • Arizona - If you commit a misdemeanor while wearing a red mask, it is considered a felony.
  • Arizona - Hunting Camels is prohibited.
  • Arizona - It is illegal to manufacture imitation cocaine.
  • California - some Community leaders passed an ordinance that makes it illegal
    for anyone to try to stop a child from playfully jumping over puddles of water.
  • California - law prohibits a woman from driving a car while dressed in a housecoat.
  • California (San Francisco) - there is an ordinance, which bans the picking up and throwing of used confetti.
  • California - More than 3000 sheep cannot be herded down Hollywood Blvd. at any one time.
  • California - a law created in 1925 makes it illegal to wiggle while dancing.
  • Colorado - a pet cat, if loose, must have a tail-light
  • Colorado - You cannot mutilate a rock in a state park.
  • Connecticut - you can be stopped by the police for biking over 65 miles per hour.
  • Connecticut - you are not allowed to walk across a street on your hands.
  • Connecticut - A man cannot write love letters to a girl whose mother or father has forbidden the relationship.

Delaware, Florida and Georgia

Strange and Unusual Laws in Delaware, Florida and Georgia



See what Delaware, Florida and Georgia are up to. Choose the most ridiculous or strange law and add to the voting plexo below. Already listed? Vote for it.

  • Delaware - R rated movies cannot be shown in Drive in Theaters.
  • Delaware - It is illegal to fly over any body of water unless you are carrying sufficient food and drink.
  • Florida - The hair salon and women can be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer
  • Florida - There was a law prohibiting unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or they risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing.
  • Florida - If an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fee has to be paid just as it would for a vehicle.
  • Florida - It is illegal to sing in a public place while wearing a swimsuit.
  • Florida - Men could not be seen public in any kind of strapless gown.
  • Florida - In Miami, it is forbidden to imitate an animal.
  • Florida - it is against the law to put livestock on a school bus.
  • Georgia - it is against the law to slap a man on the back or front.
  • Georgia - A barber is not to advertise prices in the State of Georgia.
  • Georgia - it's against the law to spread a false rumor.

Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa

What's laws seem odd in these states?



See what Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa thought was necessary to create a law for. I'm sure they had their reasons...

  • Hawaii - Any resident that does not own a boat can be fined.
  • Hawaii - Coins cannot be placed in your ears.
  • Idaho - It is illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of chocolates that weighs less then 50 lbs.
  • Idaho - You cannot ride a merry-go-round on Sundays.
  • Idaho - You cannot fish from on top of a camels back.
  • Illinois - It is illegal for anyone to give lighted cigars to dogs, cats, and other domesticated animals kept as pets.
  • Illinois - You must contact the police before entering the city in an automobile.
  • Illinois - the law is that a car must be driven with the steering wheel.
  • Indiana - bathing is prohibited during the winter.
  • Indiana - Citizens are not allowed to attend a movie house or theater nor ride in a public streetcar within four hours after eating garlic.
  • Indiana - Hotel sheets must be exactly 99 inches long and 81 inches wide.
  • Iowa - Kisses may last for as much as, but no more than, five minutes.
  • Iowa - If a man has a mustache, he cannot kiss a woman in public.
  • Iowa - Tanning bed facilities must warn customers of the risk of getting a sunburn.

Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine and Maryland

Kansas through Maryland - What do they have?



Here's what Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine and Maryland have. See one you think is really odd or ridiculous? Add it to the voting plexo below. Or, if it's already listed, vote on it.

  • Kansas - you're not allowed to drive a buffalo through a street.
  • Kansas - Rabbits cannot be shot from motorboats.
  • Kansas - When crossing the highways at night, pedestrians must wear tail lights.
  • Kansas - If two trains meet on the same track, neither one of them can proceed until one of them has passed.
  • Kentucky - By law, anyone who has been drinking is "sober" until he or she "cannot hold onto the ground."
  • Kentucky - It is illegal to transport an ice cream cone in your pocket.
  • Kentucky - it is illegal for a merchant to force a person into his place of business for the purpose of making a sale.
  • Louisiana - It is illegal to rob a bank and then shoot at the bank teller with a water pistol.
  • Louisiana - Biting someone with your natural teeth is "simple assault," while biting someone with your false teeth is "aggravated assault."
  • Louisiana - a bill was introduced years ago in the State House of Representatives that fixed a ceiling on haircuts for bald men of 25 cents.
  • Louisiana - It is illegal to gargle in a public place.
  • Maine - Shotguns must be taken to church in case of a Native American attack.
  • Maine - A person cannot step out of a plane while in flight.
  • Maine - You can be charged a fine if Christmas decorations are still up after January 14th.
  • Maryland - No one can grow thistles in their yard.
  • Maryland - In Baltimore, it was illegal to throw bails of hay from a second story window if in the city limits.
  • Maryland - In Rockville, you cannot swear while on the highway.

Massachusettes, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana and Nebraska

Massachusettes through Nebraska



What strange, unusual or out of date laws are/were there in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana and Nebraska?

  • Massachusetts - Mourners at a wake may not eat more than three sandwiches.
  • Massachusetts - Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked.
  • Massachusetts - it is against the law to put tomatos in clam chowder.
  • Massachusettes - An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless you first pay a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public.
  • Massachusettes - Taxi drivers are prohibited from making love in the front seat of their taxi during their shifts.
  • Michigan - married couples must live together or be imprisoned.
  • Michigan - it is against the law for a lady to lift her skirt more than 6 inches while walking through a mud puddle.
  • Michigan - A person cannot be drunk while on a train.
  • Michigan - In Rochester, anyone bathing in public must have the bathing suit inspected by a police officer.
  • Minnesota - A person cannot cross state lines with a duck on their head.
  • Minnesota - When driving a motorcycle, all men must wear shirts.
  • Minnesota - All bathtubs must have feet.
  • Mississippi - A man may not seduce a woman by lying, and claiming he will marry her.
  • Mississippi - Horses cannot be housed within 50 feet of any road.
  • Mississippi - Private citizens can personally arrest anyone that disturbs a church service.
  • Missouri - a man must have a permit to shave.
  • Missouri - Enacted in 1820, single men between the ages of 21 to 50 must pay an annual tax of $1.00.
  • Montana - It is illegal to have a sheep in the cab of your truck without a chaperone.
  • Montana - It is a felony for a wife to open her husband's mail.
  • Montana - It is/was illegal for a married woman to fish alone on Sundays and illegal for an unmarried woman to ever fish alone.
  • Montana - No one can pretend to abuse an animal in the presence of a minor.
  • Nebraska - A parent can be arrested if her/his child cannot hold back a burp during a church service.
  • Nebraska - It is illegal to fly a plane while drunk.
  • Nebraska - It is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are brewing a kettle of soup while serving it.

New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and North Dakota

New Hampsire through North Dakota



Now let's see what New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina and North Dakota have in the odd and out of date laws.

  • New Hampshire - It is illegal to pick seaweed up off of the beach.
  • New Hampshire - You can not tap your feet, nod your head, or in any way keep time to the music in a tavern, restaurant, or cafe.
  • New Hampshire - You cannot sell the clothes you are wearing to pay off a gambling debt.
  • New Jersey - cabbage can't be sold on Sunday.
  • New Jersey - Handcuffs cannot be sold to minors.
  • New Jersey - You cannot pump your own gas.
  • New Jersey - It is illegal to wear a bullet-proof vest while committing a murder.
  • New Mexico - Idiots cannot vote.
  • New Mexico - Females are strictly forbidden to appear unshaven in public.
  • New York - it is against the law for a blind person to drive an automobile.
  • New York - A fine of $25 can be levied for flirting. This old law specifically prohibits men from turning around on any city street and looking "at a woman in that way." A second conviction for a crime of this magnitude calls for the violating male to be
    forced to wear a "pair of horse-blinders" wherever and whenever he goes outside for a stroll.
  • New York - it is against the law for children to pick up or collect cigarette and cigar butts.
  • North Carolina - it is against the law for dogs and cats to fight.
  • North Carolina - it is against the law for a rabbit to race down the street.
  • North Carolina - It's against the law to sing off key.
  • North Carolina - Elephants cannot be used to plow cotton fields.
  • North Carolina - Persons in possession of illegal substances must pay taxes on them.
  • North Dakota - Beer and pretzels can't be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant.
  • North Dakota - Falling asleep with your shoes on is illegal.
  • North Dakota - If in a covered wagon, it is illegal to shoot an Indian on horseback.

Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island

Ohio through Rhode Island



Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, what do they have that's out of date or makes no sense in this day and age? Remember to pick your favorite and add it to the voting plexo below.

  • Ohio - Women are prohibited from wearing patent leather shoes in public.
  • Ohio - one must have a license to keep a bear.
  • Ohio - It is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday.
  • Ohio - In Cleveland, it is unlawful to leave chewing gum in public places.
  • Ohio - It is illegal to get a fish drunk.
  • Ohio - No one can be arrested on Sunday or the 4th of July.
  • Oklahoma - Anyone making funny faces at a dog can be fined, arrested, or jailed.
  • Oklahoma - Females are forbidden from doing their own hair without being licensed by the state.
  • Oklahoma - no baseball team can hit the ball over the fence or out of a ballpark.
  • Oklahoma - Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.
  • Oregon - Driver's must yield to pedestrians standing on the sidewalk.
  • Oregon - It is illegal to place a container filled with human fecal matter on the side of any highway.
  • Oregon - A door on a car may not be left open longer than is necessary.
  • Oregon - Dishes must drip dry.
  • Pennsylvania - A special cleaning ordinance bans homemakers from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.
  • Pennsylvania - No man may purchase alcohol without written consent from his wife.
  • Pennsylvania - In Philadelphia, you can't put pretzels in bags based on an Act of 1760.
  • Rhode Island - Cap guns are illegal.
  • Rhode Island - No one can bite off another person's leg.
  • Rhode Island - In Providence, it is against the law to jump off a bridge.
  • Rhode Island - Professional sports, except ice polo and hockey, must obtain a license to play games on Sunday.
  • Rhode Island - It is considered an offense to throw pickle juice on a trolley.

South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Vermont

South Carolina through Vermont



Take a look at what South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Vermont have. Don't forget to add you favorite to the voting plexo below.

  • South Carolina - It is illegal to display a confederate flag on a courthouse.
  • South Carolina - If a man promises to marry an unmarried woman, the marriage must take place.
  • South Carolina - Railroad companies can be held liable for scaring horses.
  • South Carolina - Musical instruments cannot be sold on Sundays.
  • South Dakota - No horses are allowed in Fountain inn unless they are wearing pants.
  • South Dakota - Falling asleep in a cheese factory is illegal.
  • South Dakota - Movies that show police officers being struck, beaten, or treated in an offensive manner are forbidden.
  • Tennessee - It is against the law to drive a car while sleeping.
  • Tennessee - You can't shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile.
  • Tennessee - It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish.
  • Tennessee - You can't sell bologna on Sundays.
  • Texas - It is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.
  • Texas - It is illegal to shoot a buffalo from the second story of a hotel.
  • Texas - it's against the law for anyone to have a pair of pliers in his or her possession.
  • Utah - It is illegal to fish while on horseback.
  • Utah - Birds have the right of way on any public highway
  • Utah - Daylight must be visible between dancing couples.
  • Utah - A husband is responsible for every criminal act committed by his wife while she is in his presence.
  • Vermont - Lawmakers made it obligatory for everybody to take at least one bath each week- - on Saturday night.

Virginia, Washington West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming

Virginia to Wyoming



The last of the states. Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. See what they have and don't forget to pick your favorite and add it to the voting plexo below. If it's already on the list, then vote for it.

  • Virginia - Chickens cannot lay eggs before 8:00 a.m., and must be done before 4:00 p.m.
  • Virginia - You cannot drive without wearing shoes.
  • Virginia - The Code of 1930 has a statute which prohibits corrupt practices or bribery by any person other than political candidates.
  • Virginia - It is illegal to tickle women.
  • Virginia - Citizens must honk their horn while passing other cars.
  • Washington - All lollipops are banned.
  • Washington - A law to reduce crime states: "It is mandatory for a motorist with criminal intentions to stop at the city limits and telephone the chief of police as he is entering the town.
  • Washington - You can't carry a concealed weapon that is over 6 feet in length.
  • Washington - X-rays may not be used to fit shoes.
  • Washington - No person may walk about in public if he or she has the common cold.
  • West Virginia - No children may attend school with their breath smelling of "wild onions."
  • West Virginia - Only babies can ride in a baby carriage.
  • West Virginia -One can't cook sauerkraut or cabbage due to the odors and the offence is subject to imprisonment.
  • West Virginia - Any person who commits adultery shall be fined at least twenty dollars.
  • West Virginia - A tax of 1 cent is levied for every 16 and 9 ounces of coke sold in a store.
  • West Virginia - A person may not hold public office if he or she has ever participated in a duel.
  • West Virginia - If you wear a hat inside a theater, you may be fined.
  • West Virginia - Whistling underwater is prohibited.
  • Wisconsin - Butter substitutes are not allowed to be served in state prisons.
  • Wisconsin - At one time, margarine was illegal.
  • Wisconsin - It is illegal to kiss on a train.
  • Wisconsin - One may not camp in a wagon on any public highway or risk a fine of up to ten dollars.
  • Wyoming - It is illegal to wear a hat that obstructs people's view in a public theater or place of amusement.
  • Wyoming - Using a firearm to fish is strictly forbidden.
  • Wyoming - It is illegal for women to stand within five feet of a bar while drinking.
  • Wyoming - You may not take a picture of a rabbit from January to April without an official permit.

What are your favorite strange and unusual laws.

List them here.

Vote for your favorite or add to the list.

1

Vote Up
Vote Down

There's a law that made it illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.

4 points

2

Vote Up
Vote Down

It is illegal to maim oneself to escape duty.

2 points

Find more on strange laws at Amazon

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Know of one not listed, let me know and I'll add it.

All comments are welcome

  • mywyomingadventure Apr 24, 2012 @ 12:18 am | delete
    Funny lens. Wonder what people were thinking when they made these laws.
  • Trish Apr 7, 2012 @ 6:43 pm | delete
    Might be wrong so check 1st, but think in Virginia a man can beat hi wife on the court house steps on Sunday between 1 and 3 pm lol
  • brent96 Dec 8, 2011 @ 4:37 pm | delete
    an even better law is making money by being a whistleblower! read further here...

    http://www.bergermontague.com/practice-areas/whistleblowers,-qui-tam-false-claims-act/our-law-firm's-approach-to-whistleblower-cases
    Whistleblower Lawyers
    Qui Tam Defined
  • garyhennesrealtors Dec 7, 2011 @ 11:54 pm | delete
    Hi FunGifts4All
    Good stuff and nice topic it will help to know about law of truth.
  • rwarxitsrobb Jul 24, 2011 @ 7:08 am | delete
    nice page! check out mine
  • Brian_Abbott Jul 1, 2011 @ 6:47 pm | delete
    Very amusing, it's hard to believe that these laws were actually passed.
  • BSieracki Jun 17, 2011 @ 10:41 pm | delete
    i like the one about ice cream in the pocket
  • Philippians468 Apr 9, 2011 @ 11:32 am | delete
    thank you for sharing this refreshing lens! great work compiling the laws from different places! cheers
  • kwj Mar 29, 2011 @ 2:14 pm | delete
    falling asleep with your shoes on!!?? I'd never live in N. Dakota because I'd never be out of jail.
  • photofk3 Jan 15, 2011 @ 5:02 pm | delete
    These laws really are funny and I laughed a lot while reading them.
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FunGifts4All

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending." Maria Robinson
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