NationStates Jolt Archive

The idea of this was spawned from this thread (http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=354844). So rather than hijacking it, I made a new topic.

There are a lot of random silly laws out there. Anyone have any interesting ones they'd care to share?


In Oxford, OH, it is illegal for anyone to exit their vehicle on the traffic side. This makes issuing traffic citations interesting, though I've yet to see an officer climb over the passanger's seat.

It is also illegal for a woman to strip off her clothing while standing in front of a man's picture.

In Oregon it's a $500 fine if you touch the pump at a gas station.

Most blue laws are a mere concession to religious sentiment; like not being able to buy alcohol on sunday.

In many states, besides California, people have restrictions on alcohol! AHAHAHAHAHAHA

In many states, besides California, people have restrictions on alcohol! AHAHAHAHAHAHA
Hey man, that's not cool... I'm gonna go in the corner and cry now.

In my city, a bylaw was passed forbiddening a trade in program at an electronics store, even though 99% of stores outside of my city have no bylaw against it.

in louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is simple assault. biting someone with false teeth is aggravated assault. and in louisiana, you can be put in jail for up to 10 years for stealing an alligator.

Just found a certain site....

http://www.dumblaws.com/

In California, sunshine is guaranteed to the masses XD

In Youngstown, it is illegal to run out of gas.

In Canton, OH, if one loses their pet tiger, they must notify the authorities within one hour.

In Georgia, it is illegal for a woman to ride in the passenger seat of a car with her shoes off, if a man is driving and he is not her husband.

Georgia also defines "orgy" as 6 people in a bed, all with their shoes off.

In Macon, Georgia, it is illegal to wear red shoes on Main Street (red shoes used to symbolize prostitutes once upon a long time ago).

In Australia Genetic engineering labs are required to have elbow operated taps in order to prevent microbes from escaping the lab (i.e. so your hands don't get re-contaminated after washing).

Thus, one lab was recently fined for not complying and forced to replace their high-tech motion sensor opperated taps.

In Chico, CA, there's a $500 fine for detonating a nuclear device within city limits

I read a book about 'dumb crimes' that had a 'dumb law' section, I recall something about a state law that required elevator inspectors in every county, even those that had no elevators, and a law making it illegal to leave an aircraft whilst it is in-flight, without a parchute (think that one came from Canada). Also numerous 'decency laws' such as a law against hanging women's and men's underwear on the same washing line at the same time.

According to the California State Penal Code, anyone who injures, kills or traps a bird or destroys a birdnest in a graveyard is guilty of a misdemeanor. The one exception is swallows and swallows' nests.

In Joliet, Illinois, USA, it's a fineable offense to pronounce the name "Jolly-et." The proper pronounciation is "Joe-lee-et."

In Chicago, Illinois, if you are younger than 17, you can get a permit to protest naked in front of city hall. Otherwise it's illegal.

In Champaign, Illinois, it is illegal to urinate in your neighbor's mouth. College towns. Yeesh.

In Chico, CA, there's a $500 fine for detonating a nuclear device within city limits
lmao :D
Oh no! a $500 dollar fine!
I'd like to see them enforce that one.

According to the California State Penal Code, anyone who injures, kills or traps a bird or destroys a birdnest in a graveyard is guilty of a misdemeanor. The one exception is swallows and swallows' nests.


Why are SWALOWS not protected they eat mosquitos! You know the nasty bugs that give you Malaria and West Nile virus and Dengue Fever and Yellow Fever? Blackwater Fever, any IDEA what a disgusting disease Blackwater Fever is? No one should hurt swallows!
No one should hurt birds anyway. It's just pointless cruelty unless you need them for food.

In Texas if a store sells beer on Sunday they can't sell Pampers for your baby on Sunday! at least this was so in El Paso when my son was a baby! I don't get why Pampers somehow came under this, the store keeper explained it was a blue law, and he made more money off the beer than the Pampers!!!!

And y'all elected a THREE PRESIDENTS from that j***** state?!?!??!?
I bet in France you could buy Pampers in the same store as you buy beer on a Sunday Don't you people talk about stupid French to me!

In Indiana, baths may not be taken between the months of October and March.

In North Dakota, it is still legal to shoot an indian if he climbs into the back of your wagon.

It is also illegal for businesses to be open between 12am and 12pm on a Sunday. I'm guessing that one has yet to be amended into non-existence.

New Jersey (http://www.dumblaws.com/laws.php?site=laws&cid=184&region=30)'s dumb laws

It says that I can't slurp my soup - well my friend told me that in Chinese culture it is considered a sign of appreciation for your food if you slurp it

In michigan it against the law to tie your alligator to a fire hydrant.

Can you imagine the fiasco that made someone write this law?

It is also legal in MI to hang someone you catch stealing cattle.

In LA it's illegal to fire guns from your car while standing still before a red trafficlight

"Security guards at Joe Louis Arena will confiscate any item they feel might be thrown onto the ice. Furthermore, any person seen throwing an octopus onto the ice at a Red Wings game will be taken to jail."

If you watch and anything about hockey, then you know the octopus thing is still but used to be a very real problem at wings games.

In York, England (where I come from) it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scot with a bow if he is within the city walls. This, however, does not apply on Sundays, where it is still illegal.

In England it is illegal for a taxi driver to drive around without a barrel of hay in his car

In England it is illegal for a taxi driver to drive around without a barrel of hay in his car
LMAO

It's the strange quality of blue laws that when someone tells you about a really weird one, you're tempted to say they're making it up, but you just can't be sure.

dumblaws.com about the Netherlands

1) It is legal to smoke pot, buy it, or have less than 5 grams with you. (why is this dumb?)
2) Prostitution is legal but the prostitutes must pay taxes like any other business. (why is this dumb?)

Found a funny one in Thailand though.
It's forbidden to step on any of the nations currency

dumblaws.com about the Netherlands

1) It is legal to smoke pot, buy it, or have less than 5 grams with you. (why is this dumb?)
2) Prostitution is legal but the prostitutes must pay taxes like any other business. (why is this dumb?)

Yeah... quite a lot of their "International" section seems to be merely surprise at the fact that not everywhere is like the USA. Take the UK section (and try to ignore the fact that there's no such think as UK law): "It is legal to trespass on someone else's property!" First of all, if you're trespassing, it's by definition illegal; therefore, it can never be legal to trespass. I assume this refers to the absence of any law of trespass in Scotland, where you're allowed to cross private land if you like as long as you don't damage anything. It's considered polite to ask permission, though. Why this is regarded as "dumb" I don't know.

I found some more English ones:

It is illegal to be drunk in possession of a cow

All English males over the age of 14 are to carry out 2 or so hours of longbow practice a week supervised by the local clergy

It is illegal for 2 adult men to have sex in the same house as a 3rd person

In Liverpool it is illegal for a woman to be topless in public except as a clerk in a tropical fish shop

In Liverpool it is illegal for a woman to be topless in public except as a clerk in a tropical fish shop
ROFL... where do they come up with this stuff?

Wilbur, Wa: you can be fined $300 for riding an ugly horse
Portland, OR: you can be arrested for taking a bath without wearing suitable clothing
Hood river, OR: The police won't let you juggle without a licence
Beldevere, CA: A dog can't be in a public place without its master on a leash
Los Angeles, CA: You can't bathe two babies in the same tub at the same time
San Francisco, CA: It's illegal to spray people's clothing with saliva from your own mouth
CA general law: Its illegal to duck hunt while flying an aeroplane
Carrizozo, NM: Women can't be caught unshaven in public
Fairbanks, AK: They'll put you in jail for serving alcoholic beverages to a moose
Hawaii: Its alright to compete in a swim meet just as long as you don't wear swim trunks
Nevada: its illegal to ride down the highway on a camel
Montana: Its a felony for a wife to open her husbands mail.
Garfield county, MT: You are not allowed to draw funny faces on your window shades
North Dakota: Its illegal to fall asleep with your shoes on
Waterloo, NE: Barbers may not eat onions between the hours of 7am & 7pm
Yukon, OK: Patients are not allowed to pull their dentists teeth
Normal, OK:its illegal to make an ugly face at a dog
International falls, MN: Its against the law to for cats to chase dogs up telephone poles
Homer, IL: Only police officers can legally carry slingshots
Michigan: a womans hair is owned exclusively by her husband
Tennesee: Its forbidden to catch fish with a lasso
Saco, MO: Its against the law for women to wear hats that might scare children or animals
Houston, TX: You are not allowed to buy limburger cheese, goose liver or rye on a Sunday
Rochester, NY: Children aren't allowed to collect old cigar stubs as a hobby
South Bend, IN: Its against the law for monkeys to smke cigarettes
Elkhart, IN: Barbers are prohibited from scaring children into being quiet by threatening to cut their ears off.
Natchez, MS: Its illegal for an elephant ot guzzle a beer
Sarasota, FL: You will be put in jail if you are caught singing in a bikini.
Miami, FL: Men are strictly forbidden to wear strapless gowns in public.
New hampshire: Its against the law to dye margarine pink
Conneticut: You will be put in jail for trying to educate a dog
Pennsylvania: Its against the law for babysitters to raid fridges
Maryland: its illegal to take a lion to the cinema
Virginia: Its illegal to take a bath without a doctor's permission

MAN! YOU YANKS REALLY CRACK ME UP!

Last time I was in North Carolina, you could only buy emergency items on Sunday. I bought a flashlight, it was an emergency item. But the storekeeper was not able to sell me batteries. They were not considered emergency items.

Not really a law, this one, but it is connected to how laws are made in the UK:

[In the House of Commons,] MPs wishing to raise a point of order during a division were required to wear a hat so that they can be more easily seen by the Speaker when other MPs are crowding into the Chamber to cast their votes.

Two collapsible, black opera hats were kept in the Commons Chamber at all times for this purpose.

That practice has now been decided to be old-fashioned, and in future MPs will merely have to move nearer to the Speaker to make their point of order.

Source (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/a-z_of_parliament/p-q/82580.stm)

Quaint, eh? Do you know when they decided that this ludicrous hat-passing bollocks was "old-fashioned"? 1998. I kid you not.

And in its continuing bid to ensure that anachronistic drivel maintains its place at the heart of British government, not only do Church of England bishops get to sit in the House of Lords and influence legislation, but the Lords still insist on communicating the fruits of their deliberations to the Commons in Norman French:

Each time a bill is sent from one House to the other the House bill is endorsed by the Clerk of that House with the appropriate formula in Norman French, as follows:

Lords bill sent to Commons

6.221 The Clerk of the Parliaments signs the bill and writes on it "Soit baillé aux Communes."

Lords bill agreed to by Commons without amendment

6.222 The Clerk of the House of Commons writes on the bill "A ceste Bille les Communes sont assentus."

Lords bill agreed to by Commons with amendments

6.223 The Clerk of the House of Commons writes on the bill "A ceste Bille avecque des Amendemens (or avecque une Amendement) les Communes sont assentus."

Commons amendments to Lords Bill agreed to with amendments

6.224 The Clerk of the Parliaments writes on the bill, "A ceste Amendement (or ces Amendemens) avecque une Amendement (or des Amendemens) les Seigneurs sont assentus."

Disagreement with the Commons

6.225 The Clerk of the Parliaments writes on the bill, "Ceste Bille est remise aux Communes avecque des Raisons (or une Raison)."

Commons bill sent to Lords

6.226 The Clerk of the House of Commons signs the bill and writes on it "Soit baillé aux Seigneurs."

Commons bill returned with amendments

6.227 The Clerk of the Parliaments writes on the bill "A ceste Bille avecque des Amendemens (or une Amendement) les Seigneurs sont assentus."

Supply bill returned to Commons agreed pending Royal Assent by Commission

6.228 The Clerk of the Parliaments writes on the bill "A ceste Bille les Seigneurs sont assentus."

Source (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld/ldcomp/compso33.htm)

Did you know in Pinellas Co FL Its illegal To commit Suicide in public

In Sun City Center Fl Its Illegal To Hit Saquatch With Youre Car :eek:

In LA it's illegal to fire guns from your car while standing still before a red trafficlight
Well in LA, it's a law that's needed...seriously.