Many of the American states are well known for their weird laws. Some of these laws have become obsolete given the changing circumstances, while others are in effect even today. There are chances that you will clutch your sides or roll on the floor with laughter when you read some of the funny laws. So, beware! You may also feel that a few of these laws are downright absurd. Yet, reading about these laws and their origins can prove helpful. Therefore, let’s start with the 50 weird laws in the US!
Top 50 Weird Laws in the US
Here are the weird laws from different states of the US!
- You can’t make faces at dogs in Oklahoma or Ohio. In Oklahoma and Ohio staring at dogs and giving them a goofy face might land you in jail or fine!
Putting a coin inside your nose is illegal in Hawaii.
- A. True
- B. False
- Riding a horse faster than 10 mph is punishable in Indiana. This law also applies to horse-drawn carriages and buggies. Surely, it’s one of the weird laws in the US!
3. Do you know that marrying the same man 4 times is not possible in Kentucky? Let’s take a peek at the origin of this law. Liz Taylor and Richard Burton got married and then divorced twice! When Kentucky legislators decided that they must restrict the number of times a woman can marry the same man, they brought this law into practice.
4. You can’t wrestle a bear in Missouri. This law was adopted in 1996. Wild animals indeed need to be left alone, and this law emphasizes the practice of protecting the wildlife in the state of Missouri.
- Having a pet rat is legally impossible in Montana. There are lots of laws regarding pets in the US, and this is just one of them. Certain rules and regulations restrict the number of pets one can have at home. In Montana, it’s also illegal to present a rat to someone!
Talking about pets, reading about the most expensive pets in the world might interest you.
- You will be fined for sitting or lying down on the sidewalk in Nevada. There is also a prohibition on sitting on a stool, chair, blanket, or any other object that is placed on a public sidewalk.
- This is another one of the weird laws in the US that’s related to animals. Tripping a horse is punishable in Oklahoma. So, any person participating in a horse-tripping event will be punished. They will either be imprisoned or made to pay a huge fine!
- In New York, greeting a person by putting the thumb on the nose and wiggling the fingers is considered impolite. And, there’s a law that prohibits people from doing this “thumbing of the nose.”
- Here’s yet another bizarre law in South Dakota. You should only stand and sleep in a cheese factory in this state. In other words, you cannot lie down and fall asleep in South Dakota’s cheese factories!
10. Have you heard of the Tennessee Login Law? Rules and regulations in Tennessee state that sharing your Netflix password is illegal! It is aimed at prohibiting the sharing and selling of passwords in huge quantities.
11. In Maine, you will be ticketed if you park your vehicle in front of Dunkin Donuts. So, if you suddenly have a donut craving when you are in Maine, be careful about parking your car in the right place!
12. In Massachusetts, if you want to be a fortune teller, you must have a license. It takes around 4 to 6 weeks for a license to be issued.
- There are several terms and conditions regarding the selling of margarine in Wisconsin. If you don’t meet all of them, you could be jailed for selling margarine and other substitutes for butter!
14. Car sales on Sundays are banned in Michigan. This law has been in existence since 1953. It’s said that car dealers in the state wanted the day off, and that’s why the law was enacted. It certainly comes under the list of weird laws in the US.
15. Are your car tires muddy? If so, clean them in case you happen to be in Minnesota because driving with muddy tires is illegal in the state!
16. In Texas, it is illegal to milk another person’s cow. The law might have been brought into practice to protect one’s assets.
17. If you happen to be in a mine in Wyoming while you are fully drunk, you could be sent to prison for up to a year. Yes, there is a law in place that prohibits you from doing this!
18. According to a law in Alaska, selling alcoholic beverages to a drunken individual is prohibited. It’s usually considered a crime, and people face severe consequences if they violate this law. Here are more weird laws in Alaska!
19. In case you are in Arkansas, make sure you pronounce this state’s name correctly. It’s against the law to mispronounce “Arkansas.” However, there is no criminal penalty for breaking the law.
20. In Georgia, you can be punished for texting in your car. This one makes sense because texting from the inside of your car can lead to accidents.
21. Frightening a baby in Missouri is an offense. Therefore, be careful when you decide to play with one!
22. You might have heard several laws related to fishing or stealing fish in the US states. But this one will bowl you over. Stealing crawfish in Louisiana can get you imprisoned for 10 years! So, if you feel like eating crawfish, purchase it from a nearby store, and don’t even think of stealing it!
23. Eating with your hands might be healthy, but so far, you wouldn’t have heard of too many laws that restrict your mode of eating. Here’s one of the weird laws in the US that says you cannot eat fried chicken with a fork. It’s a law to be followed in Georgia, especially in Gainsville, the “poultry capital of the world.”
- As per a law enacted in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, whispering at the church is illegal. It’s seen as a disturbance to peaceful worship.
25. Setting off stink bombs is punishable in South Carolina. Placing or throwing smoke bombs, tear gas bombs, or devices that let out a foul odor is also prohibited.
26. Here’s another one from the state of Missouri! Milkmen are banned from running while they are on duty. Like many other laws, the origin of this one is not very clear.
27. In Little Rock, Arkansas, it is illegal to honk your car horn near any sandwich shop after 9 p.m. The origin of this law is not known, but people think that it must have been enacted to maintain peace at dining establishments.
28. Here’s another law associated with animals! According to a law enacted in 1924, you cannot allow your donkey to sleep in a bathtub in Arizona.
29. In Colorado, there is a ban on keeping couches on the porch. Some accidents that took place in the state resulted in this law. This is another one of those strange, weird laws in the US!
30. In Fargo, a city in North Dakota, you will be jailed if you dance while wearing a hat. You must also not enter a function while wearing a hat if dancing is a part of that function!
31. As per the “sip and spit” legislation, Illinois Culinary school minors should sip and spit alcohol during taste tests.
32. Have you heard of the rule regarding free pizzas in Louisiana? In this state, it’s illegal to send a free or surprise pizza to someone. If you don’t tell the person (to whom you are sending the pizza) beforehand, you can even be made to pay a $500 fine!
33. Some weird laws in the US can make you wonder who and why they were passed. Here’s yet another funny, crazy law! If you wear bulletproof vests in New Jersey, you can be charged for it.
34. There are many laws regarding the age limits for Halloween trick-or-treats. One such law states that kids above 14 years can be fined for going tricking or treating in Chesapeake City, Virginia.
35. In Vermont, if a woman wants to get false teeth, she must first obtain permission from her husband. In 1856, there was a case, “Gilman v. Andrus,” where a man was asked to pay for a plate of mineral teeth that was made for his wife. This was the cause of the law’s enactment.
36. Do you love playing Bingo? If so, you should be very cautious in case you are in North Carolina because you cannot play the game for more than 5 hours in the state!
37. It seems that North Carolina has lots of weird laws regarding games. Here’s another one! Playing any board game after getting intoxicated is also illegal in North Carolina.
38. In Los Angeles, you could be fined for washing your neighbor’s car without their permission. So, if you are keen on cleaning a neighbor’s car, ensure you obtain their permission before you do it!
39. More animal laws…! According to one of the Fish & Game Codes in California, frogs that die in a frog jumping competition should not be consumed or used for any other purpose.
40. You can be punished for being in a park with a sleeveless top in Maryland. Throwing stones or other objects that can harm people in a park is also a no-no.
While at it, read about the weird Maryland laws that’ll shock you!
- Have you heard about the “apple pie and cheese law?” It’s not exactly a law, but more of a tradition. According to this practice, if you serve a person some apple pie, you must also include a piece of cheese with it.
42. Are you aware of “Bigfoot” in American and Canadian folklore? It’s a mythical creature, but many believe in its existence even today. The law is that you can be imprisoned for 5 years if you kill a Bigfoot in Washington.
43. Hunting or killing animals on Sundays is banned in Virginia. But there’s an exception! You can hunt for raccoons until 2.00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. “Poor creatures…,” That’s what you think, right?
44. There is a law in Utah that talks about dead pets. If your pet dies, you must bury it within 2 business days. It might take a few days for you to finish grieving for your pet, but if you happen to be in Utah, try to abide by the law.
45. You can use a proxy to attend your marriage in Texas! But wait, there are some conditions! The absent person must be a member of the armed forces or involved in some military operation.
46. One of the weird laws in the US states that you are ineligible to hold office in Tennessee if you have been in a duel fight.
47. A man can be jailed for seducing unmarried women in South Carolina. If he does, he is guilty of a misdemeanor!
48. Fortune telling is illegal in Oregon. Do you remember that you must have a license if you wish to be a fortune teller in Massachusetts? The rules regarding this occupation seem to vary from one state to another in the US!
49. It is illegal to eavesdrop in Oklahoma, especially if the person does it for gossiping or annoying others.
50. We’ve now arrived at the last of the weird laws in the US! It states that you need permission from the director to kill pigeons in North Dakota. In case you find a pigeon on your rooftop or window sill, ensure that you have the permit to kill it.
Also, read about the weird laws in Delaware, another state in the US.
Stick to the Laws!
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