Each State’s Most Questionable Laws

We all know each state has a set of laws that everybody has to obey. We’ve all heard urban legends and rumors about crazy laws around America, but you can’t believe everything you hear. There has been plenty of laws passed in the past, some very helpful.. and some very questionable. Some may even make you think why they were ever thought of and enforced. Check out this bizarre list of each state’s craziest law being enforced today!

Wyoming – No Rustling, Rounding Up, And Stealing Horses, Cattle, Or Sheep

A person who knowingly takes or exercises unlawful control over or makes an unauthorized transfer of an interest in any horse, mule, sheep, cattle, buffalo or swine with the purpose of depriving the lawful owner or possessor of the same is guilty of livestock rustling. Livestock rustling is a felony punishable by imprisonment for no more than ten (10) years, a fine of no more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00), or both.

Vermont – Don’t Try To Disguise Your Horse

A person who knowingly and designedly for the purpose of competing for a purse or premium offered by an agricultural society, corporation or association within the state, enters or drives a horse or horse kind painted or disguised, or who for such purpose falsely and fraudulently represents a horse to be another from what it really is, or who for such purpose knowingly or designedly enters or drives a horse or horse kind in a class in which it is not entitled to be entered under the rules of such society, corporation or association, shall be imprisoned not more than six months or fined not more than $500.00, or both.

North Dakota – Don’t Attempt To Clone A Human

A person may not intentionally or knowingly perform or attempt to perform human cloning. Penalty – Probation.

Alaska – If You Happen To Forget To Renew Your Brand Used For Your Livestock, You May Be Out Of Luck

To adopt a brand or mark, a person shall forward to the commissioner of natural resources a facsimile of the brand or mark, together with a written application. A renewal period occurs every five years, beginning with January 1, 1960, If an owner fails, refuses, or neglects to pay the renewal fee by March 1, of the renewal year, the brand or mark is forfeited and becomes available for issuance to another applicant.

South Dakota – Trampling The Flag May Not Be The best Idea

Any person who purposely defaces, mutilates, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag of the United States or flag of the State of South Dakota is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

Delaware – Don’t Commit Bigamy Unless You’re 100% Your Spouse Is Deceased

In any prosecution for bigamy it is a defense that, at the time of the allegedly bigamous marriage the accused believed after diligent inquiry, that the prior spouse was dead.

Montana – Stay Away Greedy Hunters

A person who has killed or taken any game animal, except a deer, an elk, or an antelope, during the current license year is not permitted to receive a special license under this chapter to hunt or kill a second game animal of the same species.

Rhode Island – Make Sure You’re Using Shopping Carts, Laundry Baskets, and Milk Carts For Their Purpose

No person, firm, corporation, or association other than the registered owner of the name or mark shall use for any purpose any container which is identified with or by any name or mark registered with the secretary of state.

New Hampshire – Keep Your Animals Safe While Traveling

No person driving a pickup truck shall transport any dog in the back of the vehicle on a public way, unless the space is enclosed or has side and tail racks to a height of at least 46 inches extending vertically from the floor, the dog is cross tethered to the vehicle, the dog is protected by a secured container or cage, or the dog is otherwise protected, in a manner which will prevent the dog from being thrown or from falling or jumping from the vehicle.

Maine – “Hunting” Isn’t A Valid Excuse To Assault Someone

A person is guilty of assault while hunting if, while in the pursuit of wild game or game birds, he, with criminal negligence, causes bodily injury to another with the use of a dangerous weapon. Assault while hunting is a Class D crime.

Hawaii – Don’t Try To Commit Fraud If You’re A Telemarketer

Telemarketing fraud is considered a class B felony in the state of Hawaii.

Idaho – Burn A Flag And Get Away With It? Not In Idaho

Any person who publicly mutilates, defaces, or tramples upon or burns, with intent to insult, the flag, standard, colors or ensign of the United States or of the state of Idaho will be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Nebraska – Getting Married May Be Difficult If You Have A Disease

No person who is diagnosed with a venereal disease shall marry in the state of Nebraska.

West Virginia – The Government Doesn’t Take Foreign-Made U.S.A flags Lightly

Any United States flag or flag of the State of West Virginia purchased with state funds must be manufactured in the United States.

New Mexico – Attempting To Transport A Goat Carcass Over State Borders? Your Certificate Of Inspection Better Be With You.

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to move, transport or cause to be transported from the state of New Mexico to any point beyond the limits thereof or within the state wirh any horses, mules, asses, cattle, sheep or goats, or the carcasses thereof, by driving or in any motor or other vehicle or conveyance, unless such animal, animals or carcasses shall first have been inspected by an inspector of the New Mexico livestock board and unless proper inspection certificates are provided.

Nevada – Let’s Not Leave The Gate Open In This State

Utah – Please Refrain From Throwing Your Feces

Any person who knowingly or intentionally throws or otherwise propels any bodily substance or material listed (blood, urine, or fecal material) at another person is guilty of a class B misdemeanor.

Kansas – No Illegal Bingo Operations Here

Illegal bingo operation is the knowing management, operation or conduct of games of bingo in violation of the laws of the state of Kansas pertaining to the regulation, licensing and taxing of games of bingo or rules and regulations adopted pursuant thereto. Classified as a class A non person misdemeanor.

Arkansas – Let’s Not Pretend To Win The Lottery 

A person commits the offense of lottery fraud if he/she falsely makes, alters, forges, utters, passes, or counterfeits a ticket or share in a lottery with a purpose to defraud the Arkansas Lottery Commission or Purposely influences the winning of a lottery prize through the use of coercion, fraud, deception, or tampering with lottery equipment or materials. This violation is a Class D felony.

Mississippi –Try To Not Loaf And Troll Around Steamboat Landings.. Bad Idea

Any persons known as tramps, wandering or strolling about in idleness, who are able to work and have no property to support them. All able-bodied persons who habitually loaf, loiter and idle in the cities, towns, and villages, or about steamboat landings or railroad stations or any other public place in the state, for the larger portion of their time, without any regular employment and without any visible means of support.

Iowa – Own A Dangerous Wild Animal? Better Have The Proper Papers And Warnings

The person must display at least one sign on the person’s premises where the dangerous wild animal is kept warning the public that the dangerous wild animal is confined there. The sign must include a symbol warning children of the presence of the dangerous wild animal.

Connecticut – Please Refrain From Cheating At Cards

A person is guilty of cheating when, in the course of playing or conducting any lawful gambling game, he knowingly uses an altered or counterfeit chip, token, tile, pull tab, wagering slip or check or knowingly marks, loads or tampers with any cards or dice or substitutes for cards or dice provided by the operator of a lawfully operated game of chance any cards or dice that have been marked, loaded or tampered with knowingly uses any device, instrument, article or substance with intent to cheat or defraud or to alter or affect the otherwise random results of any lawfully operated game of chance. Classified as a Class D Felony or Class B misdemeanor.

Oklahoma – Better Not Accuse A Woman Of Unchastity

 

Oregon – Driving With Too Much Hay? You Might Have To Pay!

A person commits the crime of unlawfully transporting hay if the person knowingly transports more than 20 bales of hay on a public highway without having in possession a transportation certificate signed by the producer or the agent of the producer. Classified as a Class C misdemeanor.

Kentucky – You Best Be Resting On Sunday’s.. Or Else

Work of necessity or charity, athletic games and certain businesses and employers excluded — Penalty. Any person who works on Sunday at his own or at any other occupation or employs any other person, in labor or other business, whether for profit or amusement shall be fined not less than two dollars ($2) nor more than fifty dollars ($50). The employment of every person employed in violation of this subsection shall be deemed a separate offense.

Louisiana – Crawfish Is Sacred, Don’t Steal.

Whoever commits the crime of theft of crawfish when the misappropriation or taking amounts to a value of one thousand five hundred dollars or more shall be imprisoned, with or without hard labor, for not more than ten years or may be fined not more than three thousand dollars, or both.

South Carolina – Treasurer At Your Church? Best Be Using The Funds For The Right Things.

Any church which receives money specifically designated for the maintenance of a cemetery on its property shall account for the money separately, and it may be used only for the maintenance of the cemetery.

Alabama – No Priest? No Collar.

Whoever, being in a public place, fraudulently pretends by garb or outward array to be a minister of any religion, or nun, priest, rabbi or other member of the clergy, is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding $500.00 or confinement in the county jail for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.

Colorado –  No Dueling. Anywhere. 

If two or more persons shall fight by agreement in a public place, except in a sporting event authorized by law, the persons so fighting commit a class 1 petty offense. Persons who by agreement engage in a fight with deadly weapons, whether in a public or private place, commit dueling, which is a class 4 felony.

Minnesota – Get Your Own Wood

Whoever, without claim of right or consent of the owner, drives, places, or fastens in timber any device of iron, steel, ceramic, or other substance sufficiently hard to damage saws or wood processing or manufacturing equipment, with the intent to hinder the logging or the processing of timber, is guilty of a crime.

Wisconsin – Catnapping Is Extremely Forbidden

No person may take the dog or cat of another from one place to another without the owner’s consent.

Maryland – The Law Will Be In Your Personal Business

A person who is convicted of sodomy is guilty of a felony and is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 10 years.

Missouri – Do. Not. Remove. The. Tags.

All bedding manufactured, renovated, sanitized or sold within the state shall bear a clear and conspicuous label that explicitly states whether the bedding is made from all new materials, or is made in whole or in part from secondhand materials.

Tennessee- Weaponizing Your Snake? Not In Tennessee 

It is an offense for a person to display, exhibit, handle, or use a poisonous or dangerous snake or reptile in a manner that endangers the life or health of any person. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

Arizona – You Own A Farm In Arizona? Get Ready To Jump Through Hoops.

The property must include at least one house, barn, shed, crib, granary, silo, windmill or fence that is at least twenty-five years old, and the farm has to be registered by the Register of Heritage Agriculture.

Indiana – Stay Home If You’re A Glue Sniffer

A person who, with intent to cause a condition of intoxication, euphoria, excitement, exhilaration, stupefaction, or dulling of the senses, ingests or inhales the fumes of model glue committed a Class B misdemeanor.

Massachusetts – Got Headphones While Traveling? Use Them.

Whoever uses a radio or boom box, so-called, or similar broadcasting equipment without the use of earphones or other apparatus on a public conveyance used for the common carriage of persons, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one month. Evidence seized pursuant to this section shall be sold at public auction.

Washington – Honey, Honey, Honey!

Any honey which is a blend of two or more floral types of honey shall not be labeled as a honey product from any one particular floral source alone.

Virginia – Leave The Homing Pigeons Alone, Please.

It shall be unlawful for any person at any time or in any manner to hunt, pursue, take, capture, wound, maim, disfigure, or kill any homing pigeon of another person, or to make use of any pit or pitfall, scaffold, cage, snare, trap, net, baited hook or similar device or drug, poison chemical or explosive, for the purpose of injuring, capturing or killing any such homing pigeon. Any person violating any of the foregoing provisions will be guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

New Jersey – Fraternities/Sororities, Your Pledging Procedures Better Follow The Standards Set By The Attorney General.

The GT9 got incrementally better every year and with the 2009 model, the guys cracked the magic 250+ mph top speed goal. With updated styling, 1120 bhp and a top speed of 414 kph we can confidently say the 2011 GT9-R is their best supercar.

North Carolina – Don’t Secretly Do Illegal Things. Secret Handshakes Aren’t Allowed For Criminal Purposes.

It shall be unlawful for any person to use, agree to use, or to encourage, aid or assist in the using of any signs, grips, passwords, disguise of the face, person or voice, or any disguise whatsoever in the furtherance of any illegal secret political purpose, any illegal secret military purpose, or any purpose of violating or circumventing the laws of the State of North Carolina.

Georgia – If You Have A Llama, You Best Have A Warning Sign.

very llama professional and every llama activity sponsor shall post and maintain signs which contain the warning notice. Such signs shall be placed in a clearly visible location on or near stables, corrals, pens, or arenas where the llama professional or the llama activity sponsor conducts llama activities.

  Michigan – Better Use Clean Language!

Any person who has arrived at the age of discretion, who shall profanely curse or damn or swear by the name of God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Ghost, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Ohio – While On Public Transportation, Refrain From Spitting On Someone

No person shall do any of the following while in any facility or on any vehicle of a public transportation system: Expectorate upon a person, facility, or vehicle

Pennsylvania – Never Discharge A Paintball Gun Outside Of An Explicit Paintball Context.

Unlawful discharge of paintball gun or paintball marker.–An individual may not discharge or fire a paintball gun or paintball marker at a person who is not participating in paintball games or paintball-related recreational activities.

Illinois – Absolutely No Fornicating.

A person commits fornication when he or she knowingly has sexual intercourse with another not his or her spouse if the behavior is open and notorious. Fornicating is a Class B misdemeanor.

Florida – Best Keep Your Adultery To Yourself.

Whoever lives in an open state of adultery shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.

New York – Mayor Of A Small Village In New York? There’s One Thing You Need To Know

 

Texas – Texas Isn’t Fond Of Homosexuals

A person commits an offense if he engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

California – Don’t Dare Give A Massage License To Someone Who Didn’t Earn It.

A person who provides a certificate, or otherwise affirms that a person has received instruction in massage therapy knowing that the person has not received instruction in massage therapy is guilty of a misdemeanor and is punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) per violation, or imprisonment in a county jail for not more than one year, or by both that fine and imprisonment.

 

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