WeirdnSilly
⚖️ All 50 States · Historical & Current Laws

Weird Laws by State

A complete list of the strangest, most baffling, and gloriously absurd laws still on the books across all 50 US states. Many are historical. All are technically real.

⚠️ Disclaimer: Many laws listed here are historical, rarely enforced, or popularly misattributed. We are not lawyers. Please do not base actual legal decisions on a site called WeirdnSilly.com.

🌺 Alabama

  • §It is illegal to play Dominoes on Sunday
  • §You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time
  • §It is illegal to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church
  • §Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death

❄️ Alaska

  • §It is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane
  • §It is illegal to wake a sleeping bear to take its photograph
  • §Moose may not be viewed from an airplane while intoxicated
  • §You cannot carry a concealed slingshot without a license

🌵 Arizona

  • §It is illegal to hunt camels in Arizona
  • §Donkeys are forbidden from sleeping in bathtubs
  • §Cutting down a saguaro cactus is punishable by up to 25 years in prison
  • §It is unlawful to refuse a person a glass of water in Arizona

🌾 Arkansas

  • §It is illegal to mispronounce the name 'Arkansas'
  • §A man is allowed by law to beat his wife, but not more than once a month
  • §Oral sex is considered a felony (historical law)
  • §Schoolteachers who bob their hair will not get a raise

🌴 California

  • §No vehicle without a driver may exceed 60 mph
  • §Animals are banned from mating within 1,500 feet of a tavern, school, or place of worship
  • §It is a misdemeanor to shoot any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale
  • §In Fresno, it is illegal to walk a camel down Chester Avenue between 4 PM and 6 PM

🏔️ Colorado

  • §It is illegal to ride a horse while under the influence
  • §Couches may not be placed on outside porches in Boulder
  • §Keeping a home neat and tidy is required by law in Pueblo
  • §Cat mutilation is illegal — as it arguably should be everywhere

🌿 Connecticut

  • §A pickle must bounce to legally be considered a pickle
  • §It is illegal to walk across a street on your hands
  • §You may not educate a dog in Connecticut
  • §In Hartford, you may not walk across the street on your hands

🔵 Delaware

  • §Getting married on a dare is grounds for an annulment
  • §It is illegal to fly over any body of water unless sufficient food and water is carried
  • §Alcohol may not be served in nightclubs if dancing is occurring on the premises
  • §It is illegal to sell dead chickens in Rehoboth Beach

🐊 Florida

  • §It is illegal to sing in a public place while wearing a swimsuit
  • §Unmarried women may not parachute on Sundays
  • §It is illegal to pass gas in a public place after 6 PM on Thursdays in Florida
  • §In Miami, it is illegal to skateboard in a police station

🍑 Georgia

  • §It is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket if it is a Sunday
  • §No one may carry a chicken by its feet downtown Atlanta on Sundays
  • §It is illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin without drawing the blinds first
  • §In Columbus, it is illegal to sit on one's porch in an obscene position

🌺 Hawaii

  • §It is illegal to insert pennies in one's ear
  • §Billboards are completely illegal statewide
  • §It is illegal to own a mongoose without a permit
  • §Coins may not be placed in one's ears

🥔 Idaho

  • §You may not fish from the back of a camel
  • §A citizen may not be spotted without their ID in public after dark
  • §It is illegal to buy or sell chickens after dark without the sheriff's permission
  • §In Pocatello, it is illegal to look sad or depressed on a public street

🌽 Illinois

  • §The English language is not to be spoken in Illinois — American is the official language
  • §It is illegal to give a dog whiskey
  • §You may be arrested for vagrancy if you do not have at least one dollar on your person
  • §In Chicago, it is legal to protest naked in front of city hall as long as you are under 17 years old

🏎️ Indiana

  • §Mustaches are illegal if the wearer has a tendency to kiss others
  • §It is against the law to roll a watermelon on the sidewalk
  • §You must always wear a shirt in a restaurant
  • §Baths may not be taken between October 1 and March 1

🌽 Iowa

  • §A man with a mustache may never kiss a woman in public
  • §It is illegal to hunt on the first day of the season
  • §One-armed piano players must perform for free
  • §Kisses may last for no more than five minutes

🌻 Kansas

  • §It's illegal to put ice cream on cherry pie in Kansas
  • §You cannot catch fish with your bare hands in Johnson County
  • §Pedestrians crossing the highway at night must wear tail lights
  • §The state game rule prohibits the shooting of rabbits from a motorboat

🐎 Kentucky

  • §A person is considered legally sober until they cannot hold onto the ground
  • §It is illegal to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket
  • §By law, you must take a bath at least once a year
  • §It is illegal to remarry the same man four times

🎷 Louisiana

  • §It is illegal to gargle in public places
  • §Stealing an alligator is punishable by up to 10 years in prison
  • §Biting someone with your natural teeth is 'simple assault' but with false teeth is 'aggravated assault'
  • §You may not tie an alligator to a fire hydrant

🦞 Maine

  • §You may not step out of a plane in flight
  • §It is illegal to keep Christmas decorations up after January 14
  • §Shotguns are required to be taken to church in case of Native American attack (historical)
  • §One may not roller skate on a sidewalk

🦀 Maryland

  • §It is illegal to take a lion to the movies
  • §Thistles may not grow in one's yard
  • §It is a misdemeanor to sell chicks or ducklings to a minor within 1 week of the Easter holiday
  • §In Baltimore, it is illegal to take a lion to the movies

🦞 Massachusetts

  • §Snoring is prohibited unless all bedroom windows are closed and securely locked
  • §An old ordinance declares goatees illegal unless a permit is obtained
  • §It is illegal to go to bed without first having a bath
  • §Children may smoke but they may not purchase cigarettes

🚗 Michigan

  • §A woman isn't allowed to cut her own hair without her husband's permission
  • §It is illegal to chain an alligator to a fire hydrant
  • §You may not swear in front of women and children
  • §A man legally owns his wife's hair in Michigan

🌊 Minnesota

  • §A person may not cross state lines with a duck atop their head
  • §It is illegal to stand around any building without a good reason
  • §Hamburgers may not be eaten on Sundays
  • §It is a felony to assist in the escape of a duck from captivity

🎸 Mississippi

  • §A man may not seduce a woman by lying and promising to marry her
  • §Cattle rustling is punishable by hanging
  • §It is illegal to have more than one illegitimate child
  • §In Tylertown, shaving in the center of Main Street is prohibited

🌉 Missouri

  • §It is illegal to drive with an uncaged bear
  • §Worrying squirrels is not tolerated in Missouri
  • §Single men between the ages of 21 and 50 must pay an annual bachelor's tax
  • §It is not legal to honk another person's horn

🦌 Montana

  • §It is illegal to have a sheep in the cab of your truck without a chaperone
  • §Seven or more Indians constitutes a raid (historical law)
  • §Proxy marriages are legal — you can marry someone who isn't present
  • §It is a misdemeanor to show films that depict any criminal act in Montana

🌾 Nebraska

  • §A parent may be arrested if their child cannot hold back a burp during a church service
  • §It is illegal to go whale fishing in Nebraska (a landlocked state)
  • §It is illegal for a mother to give her daughter a perm without a state license
  • §Sneezing or burping during a church service is illegal in Omaha

🎰 Nevada

  • §It is illegal to drive a camel on the highway
  • §It is still illegal for any member of the legislature to conduct official business while wearing a penis costume
  • §Shooting a gun from a moving vehicle — in Nevada City — is fine except when targeting a mule
  • §It is illegal to place a bench in the middle of any street

🍂 New Hampshire

  • §You may not tap your feet, nod your head, or in any way keep time to the music in a tavern
  • §You cannot sell the clothes you are wearing to pay off a gambling debt
  • §It is illegal to pick up seaweed off the beach at night
  • §Auctioneers may not clap their hands

🏖️ New Jersey

  • §You cannot wear a bullet-proof vest while committing a murder
  • §Handcuffs may not be placed on animals
  • §It is illegal to slurp soup in New Jersey
  • §Frowning at a police officer is illegal in New Jersey

🌶️ New Mexico

  • §Females are strictly forbidden from appearing unshaved in public
  • §Idiots may not vote
  • §You may not carry a lunchbox down Main Street
  • §It's illegal for a female to appear in public unshaven

🗽 New York

  • §It is illegal to stand within 50 feet of any parking meter while eating peanuts in NYC
  • §A fine of $25 can be levied for flirting in New York
  • §Women may go topless in public, providing it is not being used for business purposes
  • §It is illegal to throw a ball at someone's head for fun

🏔️ North Carolina

  • §It's illegal to sing off-key in North Carolina
  • §Elephants may not be used to plow cotton fields
  • §It is a misdemeanor to keep a list of people indebted to you
  • §Bingo games may not last more than 5 hours unless it is held at a fair

🌾 North Dakota

  • §It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on
  • §Beer and pretzels can't be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant
  • §It is illegal to serve beer and pretzels at the same time
  • §A person can be jailed for wearing a hat while dancing

🎸 Ohio

  • §It is illegal to get a fish drunk in Ohio
  • §It is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday
  • §In Cleveland, women may not wear patent leather shoes in public
  • §In Bexley, it is illegal to install or use a slot machine in an outhouse
More Ohio laws →

🌪️ Oklahoma

  • §Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor to congregate in groups of three or more
  • §It is illegal to have the hind legs of farm animals in your boots
  • §Whaling is illegal in Oklahoma (a landlocked state)
  • §You may not open a soda bottle without the supervision of a licensed engineer

🌲 Oregon

  • §Dishes must drip dry — drying them with a towel is illegal
  • §It is illegal to whistle underwater
  • §A door on a car may not be left open longer than is necessary
  • §Ice cream may not be eaten on Sundays in Eugene

🔔 Pennsylvania

  • §You may not catch a fish with your hands in Pennsylvania
  • §It is illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors
  • §Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward them must pull well off the road
  • §It is illegal to have over 16 women live in a house together

⚓ Rhode Island

  • §It is illegal to bite off another's leg
  • §Professional sports (except ice polo and target shooting) may not be played on Sundays
  • §You may not sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same customer on a Sunday
  • §Throwing pickle juice on a trolley is illegal

🌴 South Carolina

  • §By law, if a man promises to marry an unmarried woman, the marriage must take place
  • §It is a capital offense to inadvertently kill someone while attempting suicide
  • §It is illegal for horses to eat fire hydrants in Fountain Inn
  • §Dance halls may not be operated on Sundays

🗿 South Dakota

  • §It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep in a cheese factory
  • §Movies may not show films with shots of people drinking beer or wine
  • §Hotel sheets must be exactly 99 inches long and 81 inches wide
  • §An 80-year-old woman may not stop a car for the purpose of boarding it

🎸 Tennessee

  • §It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish
  • §You can't shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile
  • §It is illegal to dare a child to purchase beer
  • §Hollow logs may not be sold in Tennessee

🤠 Texas

  • §It is illegal to milk another person's cow
  • §Wire cutters may not be carried in your pocket
  • §It is illegal to sell one's eye in Texas
  • §Children may not have unusual haircuts in Mesquite

🏔️ Utah

  • §It is illegal to fish from horseback
  • §Birds have the right of way on all highways
  • §You may not have a religious gathering while riding on a water slide
  • §It is against the law to cause a catastrophe in Utah

🍁 Vermont

  • §Women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth
  • §Whistling underwater is prohibited
  • §You may not paint landscapes during wartime
  • §It is illegal to deny the existence of God in Vermont

🏛️ Virginia

  • §It is illegal to tickle women
  • §You may not hunt any animal on Sunday, except raccoons (until 2 AM)
  • §Corrupt practices of bribery by any person other than candidates is illegal
  • §Hunting on Sundays is illegal except for raccoon hunting which ends at midnight Saturday

☕ Washington

  • §It is illegal to purchase a television on Sunday
  • §No fake wrestling matches may be held
  • §X-rays may not be used to fit shoes
  • §Lollipops are banned in Spokane

⛰️ West Virginia

  • §It is illegal to snooze on a train
  • §Whistling underwater is prohibited
  • §A person may not hold public office if they have ever participated in a duel
  • §It is legal to beat your wife so long as it is done in public on Sunday, on the courthouse steps

🧀 Wisconsin

  • §Apple pie must be served with a piece of cheese in restaurants
  • §Margarine may not be substituted for butter in restaurants unless the customer requests it
  • §It is illegal to serve apple pie in public restaurants without cheese
  • §At one time, it was illegal to serve butter substitutes in state prisons

🤠 Wyoming

  • §You may not take a picture of a rabbit from January to April without an official permit
  • §It is illegal to ski under the influence of alcohol
  • §Junk dealers may not make any business transactions with drunk persons
  • §You may not fish with a seine in Wyoming

Why Do Weird Laws Still Exist?

Most weird laws persisting on the books are artifacts of a different era — laws written for specific historical circumstances that were never formally repealed because nobody bothered. When a law stops being enforced, it often just sits there, technically valid, waiting to confuse future generations.

Many widely shared “weird laws” are also misrepresentations of real laws (slightly more boring actual text), urban legends, satirical laws mistaken for real ones, or laws from municipal codes of tiny towns. We've tried to verify these where possible, but some remain delightfully unverifiable.