50 Craziest State Laws

Texas has some pretty outrageous laws – even these days. But one of the most obscure and outdated laws is that anyone who wants to hold a position in Texas must believe in God. In Reno, Nevada, it is illegal to sit or lie on a public sidewalk. The law states that « no person may sit or lie on a public sidewalk or on a blanket, chair, stool or other object placed on a public sidewalk in the downtown Reno regional centre. » As the « dairy country of America, » Wisconsin takes its milk, cheese, and other dairy products seriously. The state has a law in the books that prohibits serving margarine in a public restaurant as a substitute for table butter — unless it`s specifically ordered by the customer. Offences can be punishable by a fine ranging from $100 to $500 and/or imprisonment for up to three months. If you are considering committing a serious crime in New Jersey, leave your bulletproof vest at home. Under state law, it is a third-degree crime to wear a body vest while « involved in the commission or attempt to commit or flee after committing or attempting murder, manslaughter, robbery, sexual assault, burglary, kidnapping, criminal escape, or assault. » The law states that any motorist stranded in a floodplain after bypassing barricades will be charged for the cost of rescuing them. And we agree that you`d have to be stupid enough to do that.

Not so long ago, the state of New Hampshire enacted a new homicide law that defined a 20-week-old fetus as a person. However, the law has a loophole for pregnant women seeking abortions. Are you staying on a boat during your stay in Georgia? You are not for more than 30 days. You can apply for an extension, but it might be easier to simply make other arrangements, such as moving to another state or simply drifting into international waters. The law technically states that moose are not allowed on public sidewalks in Fairbanks, which would theoretically prevent them from entering taverns and getting drunk. However, given that states and cities have legal leeway, this has led to the entry into the books of rather outrageous laws. Sometimes they are not really enforced, but no one has bothered to repeal or cancel them. If you don`t want to accidentally get into a cucumber in Connecticut or be fined for dancing at the Washington Monument, read the weirdest laws of each state and Washington, D.C. Nor is it necessarily a bad law to have in books. It simply seems easy and unnecessary to legislate. In any case, in the state of Rhode Island, it is illegal to bite the limbs of another person. If only every state had laws as specific as Ohio`s to provide adequate office supplies.

The state has a law that requires any operator of an underground coal mine to provide an adequate supply of toilet paper with each toilet. You can forget your dreams of domesticating the most smelly animal in the country if you live in Tennessee. It is illegal to import or possess live skunks within state borders unless they come from a zoo or research center. It`s unclear whether the law is an attempt to protect its residents or restrict the hijinks of child jokers, but Tennesseans may have the courage not to see this animal in pet stores anytime soon. Some funny laws have colorful stories, while others prefer not to know the story behind them. This is certainly the case with Oregon state law, which states that you cannot dispose of human waste when working or driving in a motor vehicle. This offence carries a maximum penalty of $250. While states like Nevada are all about bright lights and gambling, North Carolina`s gambling laws are pretty strict. Playing more than 10 hours of bingo in a week actually violates North Carolina`s gambling laws. Organizations can only host or sponsor two bingo sessions per week for up to five hours.

And within 48 hours, there are not two bingo sessions that can take place. Many of these outdated laws may no longer be enforced today, but it`s certainly still the perfect time to reflect on how they were once needed (and in some cases still exist!). From random facts about food to truly ridiculous rules about animals in any state, get ready to laugh, chuckle, and control your eye aside by clicking on the most absurd laws and prohibitions of the great United States. Do you want to sell your motorhome on Sundays? Not so fast. Iowa is one of the few states to ban the sale of recreational vehicles on day of rest. In 2016, the state Supreme Court removed the archaic book law and effectively dismantled that ridiculous law, according to Sante Fe New Mexican. There are still many archaic laws when it comes to marriage and children. Under Mississippi state law, if you have more than one illegitimate child, you will be charged with a misdemeanor and face a month in jail or a fine of up to $250.

As you drive through Hawaii, you won`t find anything blocking the state`s beautiful scenery – billboards are illegal. Nebraska is the only state where it is illegal for a bartender to mix alcohol with beer for others. This means no boilermakers, bourbon in the keg of your beer, or any other famous cocktail that mixes alcohol with beer. The Prohibition Boilermaker Act has been discussed in the state government, but has not yet been rescinded. Under Florida state law, the owner of a dog, with certain reservations, is not liable for damage caused by his pet if, at the time of an injury, the owner « has placed an easily readable sign with the words `Bad Dog` prominently on his premises. » So in the Sunshine State, it`s best not to ignore the « beware of dogs » signs. The state has an honest glass of swearword. If you swear, curse, or get drunk in public (the latter feels like it should have been accompanied by a few extra details), you risk being fined an exact $1. In some states, it is legal to carry out activities that cause changes in the composition or behavior of the atmosphere. However, not in Colorado without a license.

Nevada has had strange and specific laws in the past that have since been repealed, including not driving a camel on the highway and refusing to hire communist party people. A funny law that is still in force says that it is illegal to throw objects from a chairlift. So you can be sure that you won`t be thrown from above while skiing at Lake Tahoe. Needless to say, fighting with a bear is a bad idea. Yet Missouri has such a law in the books. When passing a mountain in Nebraska, you are required by law to keep your vehicle as close as possible to the right side of the highway. This seems reasonable, unless you consider that there are no real mountains in Nebraska. The highest point in the state is Panorama Peak, not a mountain, but a small elevation in an expanse of landscape called the High Plains. In Jefferson County, you can only hold a garage sale between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. And it can take no more than three days.

And you can not keep more than two per year. However, if you happen to frequent a legal garage sale and get a bow and arrow, there is a little more leeway when it comes to the laws on the practice of targets within the city limits.