Stupid State Laws
Did you know that in one state, it's illegal to catch fish with your bare hands, while another part of the country has a law in place making it illegal to wear cowboy boots if you don't own at least two cows? And that's just the tip of the ridiculous laws iceberg. Check out the four craziest laws that each state has on the books...
Alabama
1: In 1996, the Alabama State Senate voted 23-0 making it illegal to conduct bear wrestling for profit.
2: While you can wear a fake moustache in church in Alabama, it is illegal to do so if it causes laughter.
Pexels, Pixabay
Alabama
3: All you alligator owners in Alabama, listen up—It is illegal to chain your alligator to a fire hydrant.
4: Not sure about the rest of the state—but in Mobile, Alabama, they've banned plastic confetti.
cottonbro studio, Pexels
Alaska
1: In Alaska, bear hunting is legal. However, it is illegal to wake a sleeping bear in order to take a photograph of it.
2: In Alaska, you can have a pet flamingo and you can go to a barber shop—but you are not allowed to bring your pet flamingo into a barber shop.
patrice schoefolt, Pexels
Alaska
3: It is an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane in Alaska. And you know what? It should be.
4: It is supposedly illegal for a child to build a snowman larger than himself on school property.
Polesie Toys, Pexels
Arizona
1: It's illegal to feed garbage to pigs without first obtaining a permit. But there is an exception made for folks feeding their own household garbage to pigs for their use only.
2: Saguaro cacti are protected and it is illegal to dig up, destroy, collect, cut, harvest, or remove them without a permit.
Arizona
3: This one is known as the "Stupid Motorist Law"—and it states that a driver who bypasses flood warning signs or barricades and gets stuck in a flooded area, may be liable for the costs of their rescue.
4: In many municipalities in the state, it is illegal to spit on public sidewalks, crosswalks, paths, highways, public grounds, parks, and public buildings. And it's also just gross!
Jacinta Quesada, Wikimedia Commons
Arkansas
1: In Arkansas, it is illegal to buy or sell blue light bulbs (unless you are law enforcement or the county coroner).
2: A pinball machine in Arkansas can't give away more than 25 free games to a player who keeps winning.
Arkansas
3: It's illegal to honk your car horns at a sandwich shop after 9 pm (this one is specific to Little Rock, Arkansas).
4: It actually is technically illegal to pronounce the state name anything other than "ARkanSAW".
California
1: Remember that two-cow law we mentioned in the intro? Well, that one comes from Blythe, California, where one is not allowed to wear cowboy boots unless you already own at least two cows.
2: Prior to 1987, it actually was illegal to eat ice cream while standing on the sidewalk in Carmel, California. However, when Clint Eastwood became mayor, he repealed the law.
California
3: A state law mandates that state agencies must answer phone calls within 10 rings.
4: You can have a frog in California and you can have it partake in frog jumping contests. However, should the frog pass away during said contest—"it must be destroyed as soon as possible, and may not be eaten or otherwise used for any purpose".
Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Colorado
1: Colorado is one of a few states where it is illegal for car dealerships to sell cars on a Sunday.
2: In Pueblo, Colorado, it's illegal to let dandelions—or other weeds—grow taller than 10 inches on city property.
Felix Mittermeier, Pexels
Colorado
1: It is illegal to ski or snowboard while intoxicated in Vail (as well as many other ski resorts in the state).
2: In Boulder, Colorado, it's illegal to roll, throw, or otherwise move a boulder on any public property.
Oscar Due Wang, Pexels
Connecticut
1: In Atwoodville, Connecticut, there is a local ordinance that prohibits people from playing Scrabble while waiting for a politician to speak.
2: In Devon, Connecticut, it is against the law to walk backwards after sunset.
thebarrowboy, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Connecticut
3: In Guilford, Connecticut, you are only allowed to display white Christmas lights on the exterior of your home or office.
4: Humans may not educate dogs in Hartford, Connecticut.
Samson Katt, Pexels
Delaware
1: There is no horse racing allowed in Delaware on Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
2: In Delaware, it's illegal to get married on a dare—doing so is grounds for annulment.
Philippe Oursel, Unsplash
Delaware
3: Folks in Delaware are not allowed to sell, barter, or offer the fur of a domestic dog or cat.
4: There is a Delaware law that requires restaurants to prominently display a notice if they serve margarine instead of butter.
Peng Louis, Pexels
Florida
1: Until 2005, there was a law on the books in Florida that prohibited unmarried women from parachuting on Sundays.
2: Not sure how this would be enforced, but there is a Florida law that forbids rats to leave the ships docked in Tampa Bay.
Donald Tong, Pexels
Florida
3: Women in Florida should never go to the hair salon when they are tired, as there is an actual law against falling asleep under a hair dryer. Both the woman and the salon owner can be fined.
4: In Cape Coral, there is an ordinance prohibiting the use of a clothesline to dry clothes outside.
Carlos Mazorra, Pexels
Georgia
1: All citizens of Acworth, Georgia must own a rake.
2: It is against the law in Georgia to tie a giraffe to a street lamp or a telephone pole.
Kampus Production, Pexels
Georgia
3: In Georgia, one is not permitted to use profane, indecent, or obscene language in the presence of a human corpse, or within the immediate hearing of the family or relatives of the deceased, before the body has been interred or otherwise disposed of.
4: Pubs and bars in the state are not allowed to run 2-for-1 deals on any alcoholic beverages.
Infrogmation, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Hawaii
1: In Hawaii, coins are not allowed to be placed in your ears.
2: With few exceptions, billboards are illegal in the state. Those exceptions being: Notices from public offices and signs posted where goods are sold.
NurPhoto, Getty Images
Hawaii
3: If you're drinking alcohol in Hawaii, you better finish your drink before ordering another one. It is illegal for patrons of bars, pubs, and restaurants to have more than one alcoholic drink in front of them at a time.
4: In Hawaii, it's legal to get a tattoo behind your ear or on your eyelid. However, it is illegal to do so unless you are in the presence of a registered physician.
Ethan Miller, Getty Images
Idaho
1: If you are in Idaho Falls and are 88 years of age or older—it's illegal for you to ride a motorcycle.
2: From 1907 to 1939, a Sunday Rest law in Idaho made it illegal to ride a merry-go-round on Sundays.
Melanie Vaz, Unsplash
Idaho
3: Cannibalism is illegal in Idaho—except in "extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival".
4: It's illegal to hunt from a helicopter.
Greg Wilson, Unsplash
Illinois
1: In Homer, Illinois, it is against the law to use a slingshot unless you are a law enforcement officer.
2: In Chicago, it's illegal to bring a French Poodle to the opera.
RDNE Stock project, Pexels
Illinois
3: It's illegal to give lighted cigars to pets (does that mean you can give them unlit ones?).
4: It is illegal to eat in a place that is on fire (does this really need to be a law?).
JACK REDGATE, Pexels
Indiana
1: There was a time in the 1800s when all males 18 to 50 years old had to work six days a year on public roads.
2: Bring a fishing pole—because it is illegal in Indiana to catch a fish with your bare hands.
Thirdman, Pexels
Indiana
3: Liquor stores can't sell refrigerated water or soda. They can sell room temperature soda and water, though.
4: You're not allowed to sniff toxic vapors of any kind in Indiana.
Sulav Jung Hamal, Pexels
Iowa
1: You have a hungry horse? Well, keep them away from fire hydrants in Marshalltown, Iowa—because it is illegal for horses to eat fire hydrants there.
2: In Iowa, trying to pass off margarine as butter is considered a misdemeanor.
Felicity Tai, Pexels
Iowa
3: In Fort Madison, Iowa, the fire department is required to practice firefighting for 15 minutes before responding to a fire.
4: In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, it is illegal to engage in palm reading, fortune telling, phrenology, or clairvoyance for profit.
Kansas
1: In Kansas City, Kansas, you could technically be fined 50 cents for saying the name "George Washington" without adding the phrase "blessed be his name" after it.
2: You can't wear a bee in your hat (is this something anyone wants to do?).
Mark Kerrison, Getty Images
Kansas
3: Not sure how many whales one can see in the landlocked state of Kansas. But hunting them is illegal.
4: Find yourself in a tomato patch with your eye on a bullfrog? Well, just know that it's illegal to catch bullfrogs in a tomato patch. So you can look but don't catch.
Elianne Dipp, Pexels
Kentucky
1: There is a law in Kentucky requiring every citizen to take a shower once a year.
2: In the town of Owensboro, Kentucky, women are not allowed to buy a hat without their husband's permission.
Sergey Torbik, Pexels
Kentucky
3: A woman in Kentucky cannot remarry the same man four times.
4: Dogs in the state are prohibited from chasing—or attacking—people and other animals.
Daria Obymaha, Pexels
Louisiana
1: There was an old ordinance in Louisiana that declared goatees illegal unless one first paid a special license fee for the privilege of wearing one in public.
2: At a wake, mourners may not eat more than three sandwiches.
Wolrider YURTSEVEN, Pexels
Louisiana
3: In Louisiana, biting someone with natural teeth constitutes simple assault, while biting someone with false teeth (dentures) is considered aggravated assault.
4: In Louisiana, jambalaya made the traditional way is not subject to state sanitary code.
jeffreyw, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Maine
1: In Waterville, Maine, it is illegal to blow your nose in public.
2: In Rumford, Maine, it's illegal to bite your landlord.
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Maine
3: Maine cannot use traffic camera footage to issue traffic tickets.
4: If your windshield wipers are in constant use, your headlights must be turned on.
Kindel Media, Pexels
Maryland
1: Want to go in the ocean? Okay, just don't bring any food with you. Eating while swimming in the ocean is prohibited.
2: In Baltimore, it's illegal to mistreat oysters.
Charlotte Coneybeer, Unsplash
Maryland
3: It is illegal to take a lion to the movies in Maryland (and we assume in many other places as well).
4: Throwing bales of hay from a second-story window is illegal in Baltimore. Although, don't stress too much if you do it—as the penalty for this offense is just a $1 fine.
Nashad Abdu, Unsplash
Massachusetts
1: In Boston, it's illegal to play fiddles, and other musical instruments, at night.
2: It's illegal to eat peanuts in church in Massachusetts.
Brayan Guzman Cortez, Pexels
Massachusetts
3: It is illegal to frighten a pigeon in Massachusetts.
4: In Provincetown, Massachusetts, it is illegal to sell suntan oil until after noon on Sundays.
Taryn Elliott, Pexels
Michigan
1: It is almost never prosecuted, but Michigan law does classify adultery as a felony—punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
2: In Michigan, it's illegal to artificially color birds and then sell them as if they were a different species.
RDNE Stock project, Pexels
Michigan
3: In Swartz Creek, house parties are illegal.
4: In Harper Woods, Michigan, you can have cats and dogs—but the number of dogs and cats kept in a residential dwelling unit is limited to a combined total of three.
Mauricio Mascaro, Pexels
Minnesota
1: Watch out all you skunk importers and exporters in Minnesota: it is illegal to import or export live skunks for sale, barter, or exchange.
2: There is a Minnesota law prohibiting any contest where participants try to capture a greased or oiled pig.
Jack Bulmer, Pexels
Minnesota
3: Prior to the law being changed in 2015, bingo games in nursing homes were legally limited to just two times per week.
4: In Minnetonka, Minnesota, it is illegal for a truck or other vehicle to deposit dirt, mud, sticky substances, litter, or other materials on roadways.
Nadin Sh, Pexels
Mississippi
1: In Temperance, Mississippi, if you walk your dog, they must be wearing diapers.
2: Not sure why you'd want to, but in Mississippi, it's illegal to drive around a town square more than 100 times in a single session.
FRANK RUMPENHORST, Getty Images
Mississippi
3: In Tylertown, Mississippi, there's a law in place stating that one may not shave in the middle of Main Street.
4: "If any person shall profanely swear or curse, or use vulgar and indecent language...in any public place, in the presence of two (2) or more persons, he shall, on conviction thereof, be fined not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) or be imprisoned in the county jail not more than thirty (30) days or both".
Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels
Missouri
1: In Excelsior Springs, Missouri, there is an ordinance that prohibits the worrying of squirrels.
2: Four or more unrelated females may not rent an apartment together. According to the law, any dwelling that houses four or more unrelated females is considered a house of ill repute.
Pixabay, Pexels
Missouri
3: For over a century, the Purdy R-2 School District had a rule prohibiting dancing. It has since been lifted (not sure if Kevin Bacon had anything to do with the law being changed).
4: "If any bull or ram over one year old, or boar hog over three months old, shall be found going at large off the premises of or out of the enclosure or control of its owner or keeper, after three days' notice...it shall be lawful for any person to castrate any such bull or ram or boar hog".
Ardian Lumi, Pexels
Montana
1: In Montana, it is a felony for a wife to open her husband's mail.
2: You are not allowed to have a pet rat in Montana—unless they are for feeding birds of prey or reptiles.
Tanner Johnson, Pexels
Montana
1: You can't have a sheep in the cab of your truck unless there is a chaperone present.
2: A horse walks into a bar...not in Montana. It's illegal to bring horses or pack mules into a bar in the state.
Joyce Dias, Pexels
Nebraska
1: A man can not run around with a shaved chest.
2: Until the 1990s, it was illegal to sell donut holes in Lehigh, Nebraska.
FOX, Getty Images
Nebraska
3: In Waterloo, barbers are forbidden from eating onions between 7 am and 7 pm.
4: Up until the 1970s, it was technically illegal for "any person who is diseased, maimed, mutilated, or in any way de- formed, so as to be unsightly or disgusting" to expose themselves to the public view.
Cihan Yuce, Pexels
Nevada
1: A law in Elko requiring everyone walking the streets to wear a mask is still on the books (although, no longer enforced).
2: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, except for dentures. It is illegal to pawn your dentures in Las Vegas.
Henrique Morais, Pexels
Nevada
3: It's illegal to drive a camel on the highway in Nevada.
4: Using an X-ray machine to determine a person's shoe size is illegal in Nevada.
Shanu Azhicode, Pexels
New Hampshire
1: It is no longer enforced, but apparently there is still a law on the books in New Hampshire that forbids you to tap your feet, nod your head, or in any way keep time to the music in a tavern, restaurant, or cafe.
2: Another one that isn't enforced anymore: You may not run machinery on Sundays.
Chevanon Photography, Pexels
New Hampshire
3: In New Hampshire's Revised Statutes Section 207:48, you'll find a law stating that it's illegal to collect or carry away seaweed from the seashore between dusk and dawn.
4: You'd think that cleaning up litter wouldn't just be legal, but encouraged. Well, not in the White Mountains National Forest—where cleaning up litter requires a permit (doing so without one can result in a $150 fine).
Lara Jameson, Pexels
New Jersey
1: Automobiles are not allowed to pass horse drawn carriages on the street (how often does this come up, we wonder?).
2: Bernards Township is a "Frown-Free Town Zone"—but the mayor was clear to state that it isn't a law and it isn't illegal to frown.
Surprising_Media, Pixabay
New Jersey
3: There used to be a law in the state making it illegal to delay or detain a homing pigeon.
4: You may know that New Jersey has full-service gas stations. But did you know that all gas stations in the state are full-service by law? It is illegal to pump your own gas in the state.
Ingo Joseph, Pexels
New Mexico
1: In Albuquerque, New Mexico, it is illegal for cab drivers to reach out and pull potential customers into their cabs (ummmm, shouldn't this be a law everywhere?).
2: In Las Cruces, it is an offence to carry a lunchbox down Main Street.
Mizuno K, Pexels
New Mexico
3: New Mexico Statutes 30-20-11 prohibits duelling.
4: Intentionally tripping a horse is a misdemeanour. If the horse is injured, it becomes a felony.
Yaroslav Shuraev, Pexels
New York
1: There still is a law on the books that states a fine of $25 can be levied for flirting.
2: If you've ever been to New York, you know this one ain't enforced much (if at all), but yes: honking your horn is illegal unless you're warning others of “imminent danger”.
Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels
New York
3: Jaywalking is legal in New York—but diagonal crossing at intersections is not.
4: In Staten Island, you are only allowed to water your lawn if you hold the hose in your hand.
Gustavo Fring, Pexels
North Carolina
1: In Barber, North Carolina, fights between cats and dogs are illegal.
2: There really is a law in Asheville, North Carolina making it illegal to sneeze on city streets.
mohammad hosein safaei, Unsplash
North Carolina
3: "The number of sessions of bingo conducted or sponsored by an exempt organization shall be limited to two sessions per week and such sessions must not exceed a period of five hours each per session. No two sessions of bingo shall be held within a 48-hour period of time".
4: Serving alcohol during bingo games is not allowed.
Vanburn Gonsalves, Unsplash
North Dakota
1: Fargo has a law that makes it illegal to wear a hat while dancing.
2: It's illegal to keep an elk in a sandbox in your backyard.
Mathew Schwartz, Unsplash
North Dakota
3: Don't play dominoes in North Dakota on Sundays. Doing so is against the law.
4: Bear wrestling is illegal in the state.
Alex P, Pexels
Ohio
1: In Cleveland, you need a hunting license to catch a mouse.
2: Running out of gas isn't just frustrating—in Youngstown, Ohio it's illegal.
Create Isaacs, Pexels
Ohio
3: If you lose your pet tiger you have to notify the authorities within an hour.
4: In Cleveland, it's illegal to leave chewing gum in public places.
SarahRichterArt, Pixabay
Oklahoma
1: You can hypnotize someone in Oklahoma, but: it is illegal to put any hypnotized person in a display window.
2: People who make "ugly faces" at dogs may be fined and/or jailed.
Mark Williams, Unsplash
Oklahoma
3: It's against the law to read a comic book while operating a motor vehicle in Oklahoma. (what about other kinds of books?)
4: One is not allowed to keep tissues in the back of one's car.
Stanislav Kondratiev, Pexels
Oregon
1: In Hood River, Oregon you need a license to juggle.
2: Wedding ceremonies can't be performed at a skating rink.
Peggy_Marco, Pixabay
Oregon
3: You may not box a kangaroo in Myrtle Creek, Oregon.
4: There was a law against women wrestling in Salem—however, it has been overturned.
Duren Williams, Pexels
Pennsylvania
1: A law brought in in the early 1900s stated that: if a motorist encounters a horse on the road, they must pull off to the side, cover the vehicle with a blanket or canvas that blends in with the scenery, and wait for the animal to pass.
2: It isn't enforced, but there is a law in Morrisville that requires a woman to have a permit to wear cosmetics.
Marcus Aurelius, Pexels
Pennsylvania
3: A law prohibiting people from putting pretzels in bags is technically still on the books.
4: Pennsylvania passed a law in 1969 prohibiting singing in the bathtub or shower.
Lisa, Pexels
Rhode Island
1: So, you're in Rhode Island and you have a jar of pickle juice and you see a trolley going by. Be careful what you do next, because it is an offense in the state to throw pickle juice on a trolley.
2: Bite off someone's limb in Rhode Island and you're going to jail for no more than 20 years—but no less than one.
Ksenia Chernaya, Pexels
Rhode Island
3: It is against the law in the state to drive down a hill with your car in neutral.
4: It's illegal to ride your horse on the highway for the purpose of testing its speed.
Chase Yaws, Pexels
South Carolina
1: There was a time in Fountain Inn when horses had to wear pants at all times.
2: Musical instruments may not be sold on Sundays.
Pixabay, Pexels
South Carolina
3: On Hilton Head Island, it is against the law to shine a flashlight on a sea turtle.
4: Make sure you are far from an intersection if you want to make a U-turn in South Carolina, because making a U-turn within 1,000 feet of an intersection is illegal.
Maria Isabella Bernotti, Pexels
South Dakota
1: South Dakota doesn't recognize common law marriages unless they were established prior to 1959.
2: Installing cameras/recording devices in private places is illegal without the consent of the occupants.
JacoTheWacko, Pixabay
South Dakota
3: In Huron, South Dakota, it is illegal to create static between 7 am and 11 pm.
4: In South Dakota, you can use fireworks to protect your sunflower crop.
Rakicevic Nenad, Pexels
Tennessee
1: There used to be a law in the state making it illegal for frogs to croak after 11 pm.
2: On June 1, 2011, lawmakers in Tennessee passed a bill making it illegal to share your Netflix password.
Engin Akyurt, Pexels
Tennessee
3: It is illegal to have more than one person riding a bicycle built for one.
4: You may not use a lasso to catch fish.
Texas
1: Some cities in the state have an ordinance that states that a person cannot go barefoot without first obtaining a special five-dollar permit.
2: In Clarendon, Texas, it is against the law to dust any public building with a feather duster.
Andrei Kotovikov, Pexels
Texas
3: Until 1973, it was illegal to milk another person's cow without their consent (the person's, not the cow's).
4: In Galveston, sitting on the sidewalk can result in a $500 fine.
Vyacheslav Tkachev, Pexels
Utah
1: Birds have the right of way on highways in Utah.
2: In Provo, Utah throwing snowballs is a misdemeanor and can result in a $50 fine.
Pavel Danilyuk, Pexels
Utah
3: "Look ma, one hand!" It's illegal in the state to ride a bicycle without at least one hand on the handlebars.
4: One must bury a deceased pet within two days of its passing.
cottonbro studio, Pexels
Vermont
1: It's illegal for municipalities to prohibit the installation of clotheslines (AKA: the "Right to Dry" law)
2: There used to be a law in the state that required imitation butter to be dyed pink.
Mecriboom Ph, Pexels
Vermont
3: "Knowingly and designedly entering or driving a horse painted, disguised, or falsely represented as another in a competition" can lead to a fine or even jail time.
4: Billboards have been banned on highways in the state since 1968.
Hatice Baran, Pexels
Virginia
1: Certain towns in the state have bans that prohibit children from going trick-or-treating on Halloween.
2: In the county of Culpeper, Virginia, it's against the law to wash a mule on a sidewalk.
Yaroslav Shuraev, Pexels
Virginia
1: In Richmond, Virginia, it's illegal to flip a coin in a restaurant to decide who pays for coffee.
2: Swearing at someone over the phone in Virginia could get you fined.
Tiger Lily, Pexels
Washington
1: In Wilbur, Washington, it's against the law to ride an "ugly" horse.
2: The doors to almost all public buildings are required to open outwardly.
cottonbro studio, Pexels
Washington
3: In certain parts of the state, it is illegal to harass, injure, or kill Sasquatch (AKA: Bigfoot).
4: It is illegal to hug someone while driving.
cottonbro studio, Pexels
West Virginia
1: It was illegal to wear a hat inside a theater—until the law was repealed in 2010.
2: Also repealed in 2010 was the law making it illegal to swear in public.
Javid Hashimov, Pexels
West Virginia
3: If you abandon a refrigerator taller than two feet, you must remove all entry doors before abandoning it.
4: West Virginia Code §20-2-4: it is legal to take home and eat roadkill.
cottonbro studio, Pexels
Wisconsin
1: To make Limburger cheese in Wisconsin, the cheesemaker must get a master cheesemaker's license.
2: In St Croix, Wisconsin, women are not allowed to wear red in public.
Godisable Jacob, Pexels
Wisconsin
3: It's illegal to wake a sleeping firefighter in Racine, Wisconsin.
4: You are not allowed to marry your house.
Kelly, Pexels
Wyoming
1: It's illegal to tattoo a horse with the intention of making it unrecognizable to its owner.
2: There was a time when it was illegal to take photographs of rabbits from January to April.
Pixabay, Pexels
Wyoming
3: Junk dealers are not allowed to do business with intoxicated individuals.
4: It's a misdemeanor to neglect to close a fence or gate.
Vova Kras, Pexels
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