America's Strangest Laws

These are great! (I'll have to keep my elepant at home now).
One question: How did you get the pictures posted on your Chinese Inventions article? I was going to ask the question there, but I wasn't sure you wanted to weed through the immature comments to get to the bottom. Great article. Glad someone like you has the talent to write worthwile stuff.

Dude! Thes laws are ridiculous! I will try not to walk the streets of New York with an Ice Cream cone in my pocket!

you made those up.

There's a law still on the books in Arkansas that a man can beat his wife one day a month.

No way any of that is true. Show me some statute citations and maybe I'll believe you

Must be republican laws

To this day, in South Carolina, there is law that the man of the household must bring a loaded pistol with him to Church on Sunday.

Now as ridiculous as it may seem, many nonsense laws are based in reasonable circumstances from days gone by. The "bring your gun to Church" law extends from when the New World was VERY new and dangerous, with the considerable potential of some disgruntled natives seeing an opportunity to attack, and the reasonable defense would be of course to at least have the settlers armed for their own sake.

For most situations where any large animal would be fined for being tied off somewhere typically extends from the days of traveling circuses that would have a parade through town on their arrival and leaving, and sometimes the less scrupulous handlers would stop off somewhere for something and simply tie a large and potentially dangerous animal out like it was their dog and they were merely out for a walk. The obvious problem is safety, so many laws addressing it were passed by local governments and perhaps the wording is less than eloquent.

As for intercourse with animals, that typically extends from anti-bestiality laws already in place, and merely amended "specific instances" to it through case law after someone was caught, tried, and convicted of such an incident.

Many other laws involving decency, or the lack there of, extend from old laws dubbed "blue laws" from overly puritanical and/or temperance standards of behavior from days gone by. Laws passed with quite the opposite heritage often stem from an old acceptance of "the worlds oldest profession" and merely trying to relegate it to certain areas of the city, hence red-light districts and such in many old cities.

In the end, for the most part, laws typically have a logical reason for their original conception in context with the problem they were trying to deal with at that time, however of course in hindsight they seem either ridiculous with detachment from the situation, or even nonsensical in a modern time where the very culture has changed to the point that the problem has eliminated itself.

i wonder if slick willie knew that he could legally beat the hill once a month...

I think I get the california rule.The only time you may quite possibly shoot a whale is in a boat. Which is probably moving to keep up with the creature.

In TN it is legal to beat your wife on the steps of the courthouse on sunday with a stick.

In arkansas it is legal to beat your wife once a year with a broom stick

This isn't a law, merely something I found interesting. The minimum age to be a professional alligator wrestler in Florida is 13. And police officers have to wrestle an alligator to make it through the academy.

I have said since I was in grade school that they should have to get rid a law if they want to make a new law. As you can see it would take years before they had to make any tough decisions.

All these laws, strange enough, are true. And any law can be looked up at the court house, as they are public records. In Idaho you can't give a woman a box of chocolate weighting less than 50 lbs. (that one must have been created by a man who's wife was pms'ing.)

I live in New York, and i can attest they are all true. To add, you may not dance in any bar if it does not own a cabaret license. None of them do. You'll get thrown out.

I live in Blythe CA. The following law does exist.

In Blythe, it is illegal for you to wear cowboy boots, unless you own two or more cows.

However, I don't believe it is enforced.

In Mississippi you can only marry four times.

To this day, in South Carolina, there is law that the man of the household must bring a loaded pistol with him to Church on Sunday.


I believe the law states shotgun
as a side you have to tie your care off if there is a hitch post in your yard

Haha I love it! If I was in New York, I guess I shouldn't jump off any buildings if I don't want to die for penalty. lol

"A recently passed anticrime law requires criminals to give their victims 24 hours notice, either orally or in writing, and to explain the nature of the crime to be committed." I found this funny! I would love to meet any criminal who does that. lol

"Having sexual relations with a porcupine is illegal." Ok what about with your dog or any kind of pet? I mean come on who has really done that (or wants to) to a porcupine? lol

Somehow I don't think even half of those laws are enforced. Esp. with Texas lol.

you got to be kinding me!!!!!!!!!

you got to be kinding me!!!!!!!!!

you got to be kinding me!!!!!!!!!

what in the crap is wrong with america

I lIve in West Texas.

As far as I know, there is still a law in Texas which requires all bars (saloons) to have a "Spittoon" (a receptacle for spitting into).

Of course, it's not enforced...

In Mobile, AL it is illegal to wear high heeled shoes on city sidewalks...my favorite...In Kentucky by law you must take a bath once a year!! :0)

I've heard all these before, plus some... even though they're not enforced today, you must admit they're funny! So are the facial expressions when my teens read them, as well as the comments that follow! My favorite... "How many idiots did that to need a law?"

Don't know if it is still in affect now or not. But the blue laws in Texas were crazy. I went to a grocery store to get a light bulb on Sunday and they couldn't sell it to me. But the six pack of beer was leagle. So you sit in the dark and drink your beer??

thats hilarious! is it all true??

Rumor has it Al Sharpton has herpes. I wonder if there is a law that prevents him from passing it on by mating with someone or has nature already prevented this??

it is so entertaining that i am "google-ing" (searching) for more weird laws in various countries..Hmmm "good job" to those legislative bodies, at least they have unique sense of humour!!

They are true! But shouldn't they also make it illegal to be obese? It will save the world!

A president of the country almost got impeached for lying to his wife about a affair, but could have legally beaten his then wife now senator running for the presidency once a month with a broom stick.
This law report is hilarious.

I think the strangest law is that it is illegal to smoke a plant. its time we actually had freedom in america. legalize marijuana and release the political prisoners from the "war on drugs"

As a native Texan I can testify that it's illegal to carry a pair of wire-cutters in your back pocket.

Wanna know how many times I've broken that law? Oops.

These are great, find more we love the laughs.

These are great, find more we love the laughs.

I hope they don't change them we all need a good laugh

It is so strange to see that they haven't updated these laws, or actually gotten rid of them. If they aren't needed anymore, why take up the space. (Then of course, someone will do it.) =) Nice.

couldn't agree more 36!

yeah jon you're right it is crazy that its LEGAL to buy beer and not light bulbs, pretty stupid thats its illegal to buy alcohol at certain times if you ask me. i know when i want to drink!

Throwing gum out the car window? If you were raised properly then you wouldn't be doing this, it's called LITTERING.

Hey Arkansas, What about a law where the wife can beat the husband at least one or more times a month? How about that for a law.

Hey... dadgraha! What makes you think it's just America?
Every country in the world has absurd and ridiculous laws in their legal codes.
As some folks have pointed out, many old laws date back to a time when the law had some relevence but times change and so does society.
In my hometown in Massachusetts there is also and old ordnance that dates back to the 17th century requiring all men to bring their muskets to church on sunday. Keep in mind that the local population of many towns and villages was in the hundreds or much less back then and it was possible that in a small village, almost the entire population was in church so it was for protection.

I know of a few rules, a few pertaining to NC. I found out that it is legal for first cousins to marry, it is illegal for an unmarried man and woman to live together (trust me; a lot of apartment complexes in NC still enforce this rule to this day!), and it is legal to beat your wife on the courthouse steps on Sunday between the hours of 12 and 2 pm. I also heard about the not wearing high heels on the sidewalk rule but I thought that was in Montgomery, AL?

I also know of some interesting facts of what you can and cannot send through USPS to certain countries. For example: USPS will not ship synthetic hair to Ireland or Scotland. So, if I was to move there and needed my hair braided and wanted someone from America to send me some packs of hair, I'd be out of luck!

In one of the small towns here in Texas, it is still against the law to have a dance. The young people here tried to change all of this as they did in that movie with Kevin bacon. It did not work for them, the elders in the town was not bending. Man, it is 2007, what is really wrong with them......LMSAO......

I farted

I heard in Florida it is illeagal to lick frogs.

In Mississippi it is legal to beat your wife as long as it is not with an object wider than your thumb

in wisconsin its illeagal to drive into the state with a chicken on your head.

My teacher found this site and this is cracking me up. XD

#54....That's where the term "rule of thumb" comes from. And it wasn't just in Mississippi. That law was in existance in almost all of the states starting in the early 1800's. I sometimes joke with my wife about this because I have pretty big hands and large thumbs.

There is a law on the books in PA that if a team of horses is coming your way on a road, and you are driving a car, you must pull off to the side of the road, take the wheels off of your car, turn off your lights, and cover your car with leaves and fallen tree branches so as not to scare the horses. This must make driving in Amish country really tough!
You also aren't allowed to honk your horn near any cattle.......fear of stampeed......oh, how many times I've broken this one.......

These laws are hilarious. Does Texas really believe that some weirdo will notify their victim 24 hours in advance? Yeah sure!

I don't recall where it's at, but it always struck me as odd.
But in Virginia it's Illegal to eat penuts in church.
Actually I think that may apply to some other states too.

must be liberals who made these laws... lol... oh boy i'm going to get alot of hate comments now! lol

While it is true that most of these laws are completely idiotic, one must wonder what act of stupidity caused them to be put on the books in the first place? Much like the warnings on coffee cups - Caution: Contents may be hot?? DUH!!

The scariest part about some of these laws is that they had to be put into place because one or more people actually did some of this stupid stuff.

THINK ABOUT THIS HOW MANY PEOPLE WOULD SAY THERE NOT COUNTRY RESPOND BACK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lololololololololololololololo

More please....!

ha! that's halarious... who would want to have a sexual relation with a porcupine? It seems kind of retarted.. oh the democrats do austound me!

LOLOL - Those are great.

Hey thanks! I'm glad you like...

I was messing around, and I came across two laws, which I will attempt to break... at the same time.

In Britain, it is illegal to die in a house of parliament.

ALSO, it is illegal to enter a house of parliament in a suit of armor...

When I die, I want to be standing in the middle of the House of Parliament, clad in my 200 pounds of armor... Now, to find a suit of armor.

Ah, Republican idiocy will never cease to surprise me.

who would p[ut and ice cream cone in there pocket anyway??

hay but i like to carry ice cream in my pocket and i only get it on sundays, MAN!!! :( also just so you know some on achullty more thanone someone had to of had sexaul relations with a porcipine for them to make it a law not to man people are twisted
some from nebraska( and they still have the death penalty :0 ):

Sneezing or burping is illegal during a church service. (Omaha)


A man is not allowed to run around with a shaved chest. (Omaha)


Barbers are forbidden from eating onions between 7 A.M. and 7 P.M. (Waterloo)

In Kennesaw Georgia, It's the law that every household must have a gun, and that law was only passed a few years ago. It's said to be the safest town in Georgia.

I realy like Nevadas number 2. Interesting.

Great, unique, entertaining, wonderful article!

Best wishes.

Sincerely,

-Liane Schmidt.

and its not just us get this in the UK a pregnant woman can releive herself anywhere in public even, if requested, in a policemens helmant!

serious?