Strange, Funny, and Crazy Laws in the United States

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Learn about strange US legal customs that somehow exist
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While a lot of “Weirdest Laws in the US” lists include myths and urban legends, we wanted to find out which laws are really on the books. And as it turns out, whether they’re an old-fashioned remnant of the past or a funny interpretation of a regulation, there are some seriously funny laws in the US! Here’s our list of the 30 strangest US laws on the books today.

Some of the Weirdest Laws in America

  • It’s against the law to let a gorilla ride in the back of your car in Massachusetts.
  • You can’t eat a frog that died in a frog-jumping competition in California.
  • It’s illegal to have a snake at a Mardi Gras parade in Louisiana.
  • No one is permitted to drive blindfolded in Alabama.
  • You can’t gather seaweed at night in New Hampshire
Section 1 of 5:

Weird Animal Laws

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  1. Nope, that’s not the setup for a joke. It’s a law that chickens, ducks, geese, and other fowl must be kept contained. If their owner lets them run loose on the streets, they’re breaking the law.
    • The fines for letting a chicken cross the road aren’t specified in the city code, but breaking a similar ordinance about dogs could result in up to a $1,000 fine, 6 months in jail, and 6 months of community service.
  2. 2
    You can’t sell dog or cat hair in Delaware. The Delaware state code says that it’s illegal for any person to sell, trade, or barter the hide, fur, or hair of a dog or cat. It’s a Class A misdemeanor, and if you break this law, you could be banned from owning a dog or cat for up to 15 years after your conviction, in addition to fines and other penalties. [1]
    • Interestingly, this doesn’t apply to dog or cat fur that was cut at a licensed grooming facility or at a vet’s office.
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  3. This odd-sounding law is popular in lists of weird US laws, but this is a case where a narrow interpretation makes a law sound funnier than it is. Noise regulations in the city of Berkeley, California prohibit loud sounds like yelling, whistling, or singing before 7:00 AM—which would cover whistling for a canary first thing in the morning. [2]
    • The noise ordinance also applies to loud animals, so it would also be against the law if your canary were singing too loudly for a solid 10 minutes or more and your neighbors were annoyed.
  4. 4
    It’s illegal to trip a horse in many states. It might sound silly at first, but tripping equine animals (like horses, mules, and donkeys) is considered an animal rights issue. Whether it’s for personal entertainment, during training, or as part of a sporting event like a rodeo, a number of states have banned using ropes or other methods to trip these animals while they’re running. [3]
    • The practice is banned in at least 11 states, including Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
  5. 5
    It’s illegal to ride a horse faster than 10 mph in Indiana. If you’re riding a horse in Indianapolis, Indiana, you’re expected to follow all of the usual traffic laws, and then some. You can’t ride your horse faster than 10 mi (16 km) per hour on city streets—probably because that could be dangerous to pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. [4]
    • You’re also prohibited from leaving your horse unhitched and unattended, and you can’t tie your horse in any area where cars aren’t allowed to park.
  6. This one only sounds silly because it seems so obvious—bear wrestling is clearly dangerous and no one should ever attempt to do it. But apparently it was a serious enough problem that Missouri had to outlaw it in 1998. [5]
    • It’s also illegal to allow people to wrestle bears on property that you own, to advertise or promote bear wrestling, and to own a bear for the purpose of bear wrestling.
    • In Centralia, Missouri, there’s a section in the city code that prohibits driving with an uncaged bear or other savage animal in your car. [6]
  7. 7
    It's illegal to eat a frog that dies during a frog-jumping competition in California. According to California's Fish and Game Code, it's legal to capture and keep frogs to use in frog-jumping competitions. But if that frog dies during the competition, it must be disposed of right away, and it can't be eaten. [7]
    • Fun fact: To prove you’re keeping the frogs for a frog-jumping competition, you have to capture and keep them in a way that won't cause harm to the animal.
  8. 8
    It’s illegal to kill a Bigfoot in Washington. In 1969, Skamania County, Washington passed an ordinance that killing a Bigfoot or Sasquatch would be a felony with a penalty of up to 5 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine. And in 1984, the county sanctioned a Sasquatch Refuge. [8]
    • It’s probably worth noting that the original ordinance was passed on April Fools’ Day and never codified, but it’s technically on the books, so it’s probably best to leave Bigfoot alone in that part of Washington.
  9. This Massachusetts statute actually prohibits all animals from riding in the back of a vehicle unless they’re enclosed, cross-tethered, or in a cage. But it sounds funnier to specify gorillas, so that’s how this law is usually shared. [9]
    • This law is designed to keep animals from jumping or falling out of vehicles.
  10. 10
    You can’t have a snake within 200 yards of a Mardi Gras parade in Louisiana. Mardi Gras parades are huge events in New Orleans, with crowds lined up for miles around city streets. Snakes (venomous or not) could cause a panic, so there’s a regulation in the city prohibiting any reptiles within 200 yards of any parade route. [10]
  11. 11
    You can’t tie an alligator to a fire hydrant in Louisiana. Okay, this one isn’t specifically a law, but if you try it, you’re definitely going to get in trouble. Even if there’s not an ordinance against tying an alligator to a fire hydrant, you can’t possess an alligator in Louisiana without a special license. [11] And you can’t impede fire hydrants anywhere —not to mention the public danger involved in having a mad alligator strapped to a fire hydrant.
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Section 2 of 5:

Weird Driving Laws

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  1. Honestly, the most surprising thing about this law is that it had to be stated at all. Obviously, driving blindfolded is extremely dangerous and no one should do it in any state, ever—so kudos to Alabama for making it official. [12]
    • The same Alabama law states that it's illegal to sit in a way that blocks the driver’s view or otherwise interferes with them driving.
  2. 2
    You can’t sound your car horn near a sandwich shop after 9 PM in Arkansas. This sounds like one of those laws that’s just a funny narrow interpretation. But believe it or not, this is actually a very specific law on the books in Little Rock, Arkansas. [13]
    • The law doesn’t have much detail, but it’s tucked in with other public nuisance laws, including one about revving a car engine while you’re at a drive-in restaurant.
  3. A law in Ogden, Iowa states that you have to get written permission to throw stones or bricks onto any highway, street, sidewalk, or other public way. We’re guessing it’s hard to get the city council to sign off on this one, though. [14]
    • The law also applies to shooting arrows, slingshots, and air rifles onto the street.
  4. 4
    It’s illegal to park in front of Dunkin’ Donuts in Maine. The city of South Berwick, Maine specifically prohibits drivers from parking within 25 ft (7.6 m) of the city’s Dunkin’ Donuts. [15] But since the city only has one Dunkin’, the law was likely written using the coffee chain as a reference point, rather than a decree that no one can park in front of any Dunkin’, ever.
  5. 5
    It’s illegal to drive a vehicle with dirty tires in Minnesota. In Minnetonka, Minnesota, you can be charged with a petty misdemeanor if your vehicle leaves dirt or mud on the city streets. [16] That could net you a fine of up to $300, so if you’ve been hitting the trails, be sure to stop by the car wash before you head into town. [17]
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Section 3 of 5:

Weird Food and Alcohol Laws

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  1. Specifically, the law says that students can “taste, but … not imbibe, alcoholic liquor.” This only applies when they’re enrolled in a course that teaches cooking, fermentation, food service, or restaurant management, and only when that course involves a section on serving alcohol responsibly. [18]
  2. 2
    It’s illegal to send a surprise pizza in Louisiana. Actually, it’s illegal to send any food to another person in Louisiana if the recipient doesn’t know you’re sending it and then has to pay for the food. So before you send your bestie 10 pizzas as a joke, just know that this could land you a fine of up to $500. [19]
  3. Wisconsin takes its dairy seriously—the state’s statutory code includes a whole section on “Oleomargarine regulations.” All margarine must be clearly marked so it’s distinguished from real butter, and it can’t be served at a restaurant unless it’s specifically requested by the customer. [20]
    • Margarine can’t be served in schools, hospitals, or prisons without special permission, either.
  4. 4
    You can’t drink and play bingo in North Carolina. A 2019 statute in North Carolina prohibits anyone from selling or drinking alcohol in the same room where a bingo game is happening. Luckily, bingo is plenty fun enough as it is. [21]
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Section 4 of 5:

Weird Household Laws

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  1. It might sound silly at first, but this is actually an anti-littering law. Not only does shaking a mop out of a window put tiny particles in the air—especially a problem if anyone opens a window beneath you—but it sends dirt and dust down to the sidewalks, where it could land on people or make walkways hazardous. [22]
  2. 2
    It’s illegal to keep a couch on your porch in Colorado. The city of Boulder, Colorado has prohibited people from putting couches, armchairs, mattresses, and other upholstered furniture outdoors. This applies to porches, balconies, front yards, side yards, and back yards. [23]
    • It is okay to put furniture out for removal at specified times.
  3. If you have a houseboat docked at a marina or other mooring area on Georgia’s coast, you can only live on board the boat for up to 90 days in a single calendar year. However, you can request an extension from the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. [24]
  4. 4
    It’s illegal to sweep leaves or other debris into the street in Idaho. Idaho statutes make it illegal to throw any trash or waste onto the highway. The law goes on to prohibit leaving any “debris, substance, or … material that … creates a hazardous driving condition.” [25]
    • Since leaves and lawn clippings can make the road slick, sweeping or blowing them into the road could be a violation of this statute, which could get you a fine of up to $2,500, up to 6 months in jail, or both.
  5. In Delaware, there’s specifically a law stating that marriages will be considered void if one or both parties “entered into the marriage as a jest or dare.” [26] There’s a similar law in Colorado—in fact, the language is identical. [27]
  6. 6
    Women must have their husbands’ permission to obtain fake teeth in Vermont. In 1856, a case was brought before the court where a woman had gotten false teeth and her husband, claiming not to have had prior knowledge of the agreement, refused to pay. [28] As a result, a law was enacted that a husband would have to agree to pay for dental work before a dentist would perform any services.
    • This is definitely an antiquated law that wouldn’t be enforced today, but it does technically exist.
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Section 5 of 5:

Weird Public Behavior Laws

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  1. If you’re caught in the commission of a crime in New Jersey, you’ll of course get charged for whatever law you broke. But if you’re wearing a bulletproof vest, you’ll catch an additional charge. [29]
    • If you’re charged with a first-degree crime, the additional charge will be a second-degree crime. If you’re charged with a second-degree crime, the additional charge will be a third-degree crime.
  2. 2
    It’s illegal to tell fortunes for money without a license in Massachusetts. If you’re found working as a fortune-teller without the proper license, you could be fined up to $100. And only established residents can become official fortune tellers—you have to live in your town or city for a full year before a license will be granted. [30] .
  3. 3
    It’s illegal to pick up seaweed at night in New Hampshire. If you go to a New Hampshire beach between sunset and sunrise and you gather up seaweed to take home, you’re breaking the law. [31] Another section of the same law says that it’s illegal to harvest seaweed from salt marshes or flats at any time of day without the landowner’s permission. [32]
    • These laws were passed in 1973, and they also specify that it’s illegal to harvest seaweed to sell in another state. [33]
  4. An old law on South Carolina’s books associates playing pinball—largely a game of chance—with gambling. The law was enacted to keep kids from spending all of their money on pinball machines, and while it isn’t usually enforced today, it does still technically exist. [34]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://law.justia.com/codes/delaware/title-11/chapter-5/subchapter-vii/section-1325a/
      2. ↑ https://berkeley.municipal.codes/BMC/13.40.070
      3. ↑ https://www.avma.org/javma-news/2014-06-01/horse-tripping-new-welfare-concern
      4. ↑ https://library.municode.com/in/indianapolis_-_marion_county/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIIPUORSA_CH441TR_ARTIINGE_S441-105EFCHHOOTAN
      5. ↑ https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=578.176
      6. ↑ https://ecode360.com/29373247#29373548
      7. ↑ https://www.fishwildlife.org/law-research-library/law-categories/reptiles-amphibians/reptiles-amphibians-enforcement-and-penalties-california
      8. ↑ https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2021/01/laws-involving-animals-real-and-mythical/#:~:text=Skamania+County+adopted+ordinance+69,a+five-year+prison+sentence https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2021/01/laws-involving-animals-real-and-mythical/
      9. ↑ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g23516316/weird-driving-laws-us/
      1. ↑ https://library.municode.com/la/new_orleans/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICO_CH34CAMAGR
      2. ↑ https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Regulations/2023_Alligator_-Regulations.pdf
      3. ↑ https://codes.findlaw.com/al/title-32-motor-vehicles-and-traffic/al-code-sect-32-5a-53.html
      4. ↑ https://library.municode.com/ar/little_rock/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH18MIPROF
      5. ↑ https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/ogdenia/latest/ogden_ia/0-0-0-962
      6. ↑ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/g23516316/weird-driving-laws-us/
      7. ↑ https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/minnetonka/latest/minnetonka_mn/0-0-0-27573
      8. ↑ https://www.revisor.mn.gov/court_rules/cr/id/23/
      9. ↑ https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=023500050K6-20
      10. ↑ https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2018/code-revisedstatutes/title-14/rs-14-68.6/
      11. ↑ https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/97/ii/18
      12. ↑ https://law.justia.com/codes/north-carolina/2019/chapter-18b/article-3/section-18b-308/
      13. ↑ https://www.archives.nyc/blog/2023/7/28/mop-shaking
      14. ↑ https://library.municode.com/co/boulder/codes/municipal_code?nodeId=TIT5GEOF_CH4OFAGPR_5-4-16OUFURE
      15. ↑ https://coastalgadnr.org/sites/default/files/crd/MarshandShore/Regulations/LiveAboardRules.pdf
      16. ↑ https://legislature.idaho.gov/statutesrules/idstat/title18/t18ch39/sect18-3906/
      17. ↑ https://delcode.delaware.gov/title13/c015/index.html
      18. ↑ https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-14.pdf
      19. ↑ https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/6695837/gilman-v-andrus/
      20. ↑ https://casetext.com/statute/new-jersey-statutes/title-2c-the-new-jersey-code-of-criminal-justice/chapter-2c39/section-2c39-13-unlawful-use-of-body-vests
      21. ↑ https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section185I#:~:text=Section+185I:+Fortune+tellers;+license,by+the+local+licensing+authority
      22. ↑ https://law.justia.com/codes/new-hampshire/title-xviii/chapter-207/section-207-48/
      23. ↑ https://law.justia.com/codes/new-hampshire/title-xviii/chapter-207/section-207-49/
      24. ↑ https://law.justia.com/codes/new-hampshire/title-xviii/chapter-207/section-207-51/
      25. ↑ https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t63c019.php

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