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With the amount of laws governing a society, there are bound to be strange and antiquated ones. Laws can reflect power structures and values, marking past significant periods of history. Whether you are a student, teacher, future lawyer, or simply a curious individual, here are 101 weird laws in the U.S. that might illuminate or complicate your sense of right and wrong. They may also provide insight into our country’s governing body, including ways you might hope to see change.

Looking for a specific type of weird law? Use the menu to jump to your preferred area of weirdness:

• Traffic
• Marriage
• Clothing
• Animals
• Food
• Alcohol
• Activities & Entertainment
• Household/Sleep
• Business
• Health
• Language

Weird Traffic Laws in the US

Many weird laws in the U.S. pertain to driving and traffic regulations, likely because of safety concerns and the amount of drivers in the country. These weird laws range from when and how you can drive to how you treat your vehicle.

1. In Los Angeles, you can’t wash your neighbor’s car without permission.
2. In Alaska, it’s illegal to drive while your dog is tethered to your car.
3. In Arizona, you can’t drive a car in reverse on public roads.
4. In Denver, Colorado, you’re not allowed to drive a black car on a Sunday.
5. In Youngstown, Ohio, it’s illegal to run out of gas.
6. In Arkansas, it’s illegal to sound your horn at any place where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9 p.m.
7. In Alabama,  it’s illegal to drive while blindfolded.
8. In Louisiana, it’s illegal for a woman to drive a car without her husband waving a flag in front of it beforehand.
9. In Iowa, you can’t throw a brick onto a highway.
10. In Kansas, you can’t screech your tires.
11. In Maine, it’s illegal to park in front of Dunkin’ Donuts.
12. In Oregon, you can be fined for leaving your car door open too long.

Weird Marriage Laws in the US

As one of the oldest legal acts, marriage is the subject of many laws. These weird laws in America detail who, when, and how you can get married, and how to maintain the legality of marriage.

1. In Kentucky, no woman can marry the same man more than 3 times.
2. In Delaware, you can annul your marriage if it was found to be enacted based on ‘jest or dare.’
3. In Utah, first cousins may marry after the age of 65.
4. In a number of U.S. states (including California, Colorado, and Texas), you can marry by proxy. This means that you can marry even when only one party of the couple is attending in person. The development of this law helped many U.S. soldiers abroad marry.
5. In Nebraska, you can’t get married if you have a venereal disease.
6. Adultery is still a crime in New York.
7. While not specifically concerning marriage, in Connecticut it’s illegal to kiss your spouse in public on a Sunday.
8. Also not about getting married but involving the marriage: In Vermont, it’s illegal for women to wear fake teeth without their husband’s approval.

Strange Clothing Laws

Some weird laws in the U.S. limit what you can wear and how to wash your clothes. It’s hard to imagine these laws about common clothing articles and washing techniques being enforced nowadays, but technically, they can be.

1. Firstly, you can’t wear hoods in public in Dublin, Georgia.
2. In Maryland, sleeveless shirts are banned in public parks.
3. In West Virginia, you can’t wear hats in theaters.
4. In California, residents have a right to access sunlight for their laundry.
5. Vermont banned banning clotheslines.
6. Alabama: It’s illegal to wear a fake mustache in church that causes laughter.

Weird Animal Laws in the US

Many weird laws in the U.S. regulate how people interact with various animals, particularly in rural states. Some seem absurd while others prioritize the safety of the animal and of yourself.

1. It’s illegal to give a moose any alcoholic beverages in the city of Fairbanks, Alaska.
2. In Oklahoma and Ohio, you can’t make faces at a dog.
3. In Arizona, you can’t have a donkey sleeping in your bathtub after 7 p.m.
4. In Georgia, it is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or street lamp.
5. In Michigan, it’s illegal to tie a crocodile or alligator to a fire hydrant.
6. In Alaska, you can’t push a moose out of a moving airplane.
7. In Florida, you must pay parking fees toward animal parking (elephants, camels, horses, etc).
8. In Indiana, it’s illegal to ride a horse above 10 MPH.
9. In Missouri, bear wrestling is illegal.
10. In Montana, it’s illegal to give a rat as a present.
11. In Ohio, it’s illegal to sell dyed chickens.
12. Additionally, in Oklahoma, you cannot trip a horse.
13. In Rhode Island, it’s illegal to race a horse on a highway.
14. Dogs can’t hunt big game mammals in California.
15. In Kentucky, it’s unlawful to sell dyed ducks, chickens, or rabbits unless selling in quantities of six or more.
16. In Oregon, it’s illegal to go hunting in a cemetery.
17. In Alaska, it is illegal to whisper in someone’s ear while they are moose hunting
18. Also in Wyoming, you can’t wound a fish with a firearm.

Strange Food Laws

You might be surprised by these weird laws that detail what you can and can’t eat. These laws might stem from religious restrictions or an industry’s desire to boost sales. Regardless, their specificity makes you wonder about their origins and their impact.

1. It’s illegal to eat raw onions while walking down the street in Northfield, Connecticut.
2. In California, it’s illegal to eat a frog if it dies during a frog-jumping competition.
3. Also in California, it’s against the law to eat an orange while taking a bath.
4. In Georgia, it’s illegal to consume fried chicken by any other means than with your hands.
5. In Minnesota, it’s illegal to eat hamburgers on a Sunday.
6. In Florida, it’s illegal to eat cottage cheese on a Sunday.
7. In New Jersey, it’s illegal to slurp your soup in public.
8. In New Jersey, it’s also illegal to purchase ice cream after 6 p.m.
9. In Kansas, you can’t serve ice cream on cherry pie.
10. In Connecticut, a pickle must be able to bounce.
11. In Illinois, it’s legal for underage culinary students to drink alcohol.
12. In Louisiana, it’s illegal to send a surprise pizza.
13. In Mississippi, nutrition labels cannot be enforced.
14. In Wisconsin, butter substitutes are banned without permission.
15. In Alabama, Kentucky, and Georgia: It’s against the law to walk down the street with an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

Weird Alcohol Laws in the US

Many laws regarding alcohol are well-known, such as the age requirement or the amount allowed in your bloodstream while driving. Here are some weird laws about drinking alcohol that might surprise you.

1. Firstly, in Kansas, it’s illegal to serve wine in teacups
2. Utah doesn’t have happy hour.
3. Florida passed a law in 1974 allowing the state to ban alcohol sales during hurricanes.

Strange Activities and Entertainment Laws

These weird laws in the U.S. restrict various activities, from magic tricks to boxing. They might have emerged after a specific incident or general concerns expressed by the community. Here are some weird laws that limit hobbies and other recreational activities.

1. In New Hampshire, it’s unlawful to pick up seaweed off the beach.
2. In Hawaii, it’s illegal to place a coin in one’s ear.
3. In Massachusetts, it’s illegal to tell fortunes without certification.
4. In North Carolina, drunk bingo is unlawful.
5. In North Carolina, those bingo games can’t last more than five hours.
6. In North Dakota, you can’t shoot fireworks after 11 p.m.
7. In Wyoming, you can’t throw rocks at trains in Wisconsin.
8. In Delaware, you can’t show R-rated movies at drive-ins.
9. In South Carolina, dance halls can’t be close to cemeteries.
10. In South Carolina, you can’t play pinball if you’re a minor.
11. It is illegal for women to take more than three steps backward while dancing in Bellingham, Washington.
12. Silly String has been .
13. In Utah, biting is banned in boxing.
14. In Alabama, stink bombs are outlawed.
15. Rhode Island also has restrictions around biting: biting someone’s arm off is illegal.
16. In Arizona, it’s illegal to dig up and move a saguaro cactus
17. In Virginia, you can’t go trick-or-treating if you’re over 14 years old.

Weird Household Laws in the US

There are even specific laws about everyday household activities. See these weird laws about how you might relax inside your home.

1. In New York, slippers are banned after 10 p.m.
2. In Tennessee, it’s illegal to share your Netflix password.
3. In Colorado, it’s illegal to keep a couch on your porch.
4. In Maine, it’s illegal to keep Christmas decorations up after January 14th

Interesting “Where to Sleep” Laws

These weird laws in the U.S. that note where someone can sleep or stay might not surprise anyone, as many people are aware of similar regulations.

1. In South Dakota, it’s illegal to sleep in the cheese factory.
2. Reno, Nevada, doesn’t allow people to lie down on sidewalks.
3. In Georgia, it’s illegal to live on a boat for more than 30 days.

Strange Business Laws

Not surprisingly, some weird laws in the U.S. pertain to how you operate a business or the commodities you choose to sell.

1. In Texas, you can’t sell a human eye.
2. In Delaware, you can’t sell dog hair.
3. In Washington, it’s illegal to attach a vending machine to a utility pole.
4. Billboards are illegal in Hawaii.
5. In Ohio, it’s against the law for stores to sell cornflakes on Sundays.

Weird Health Laws in the US

Recently, laws about public health received greater scrutiny during COVID-19, when new regulations formed as the public learned more about the virus. These weird laws in the U.S. might be lesser known to the public, and likely existed long before COVID appeared.

1. In Washington, it’s a misdemeanor to expose others to a contagious disease, even the common cold.
2. In Massachusetts, emergency medical technicians aren’t allowed to help dogs.
3. In Iowa, every tanning bed needs a warning sign.
4. In Wisconsin, you can’t make someone get a microchip.
5. In Washington, you can’t use X-rays for shoe fittings.

Weird Language Laws

Nowadays, it’s hard to imagine anyone enforcing a law about cursing, yet many exist. These weird laws note where and when cursing is allowed.

1. In Massachusetts, swearing at sports events is illegal.
2. In Logan, Utah, women are prohibited from swearing.
3. In Mississippi, you can be fined up to $100 for swearing in public
4. In Georgia, it is illegal to use profanity in the presence of a corpse.
5. Lastly, in Michigan, blasphemy is illegal.

Final Thoughts

Laws are one of the oldest uses of language and change depending on a society’s power structure, major historical events, and community organizing. While some laws are widely known, the many weird ones reveal the complicated nature of our society. Learning about these obscure laws might inspire you to investigate the power structure of a society, or even imagine another design that enables everyone to lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

Lastly, learn other historical, weird facts from these articles:

• 101 History Trivia Questions and Answers for Kids
• 141 Fun, Weird, and Interesting Facts
• 125 Geography Trivia Questions for Kids
• 25 Best Sports Movies of All Time
• 101 Facts About Dogs