According to Reader’s Digest, these are the weirdest laws by state.
Alabama: No stink bombs or confetti
If you’re a stodgy school principal from a 1980s film, consider moving to Mobile, Alabama: Stink bombs or any “device, irritant, offensive-smelling or injurious substance” are strictly illegal there. Possession of stink bombs, which are considered a noxious substance, is a Class A misdemeanor, which can carry a sentence of a year in jail and up to a $6,000 fine.
Alaska: No getting drunk in a bar
In Alaska, it is illegal to be drunk … in a bar. According to the Alaska Bar Association, a person who is already drunk may not “knowingly” enter a bar to drink more, or remain in the bar that got them drunk in the first place. Confusing? Yes. Outdated? Sadly, no. Police actually enforce it, and drunk patrons may face up to a $500 fine.
Arizona: No killing the cacti
In Arizona, it’s not only people and animals that are legally protected from murder. The cacti are also included! The state’s native Saguaro Cactus is so endangered and takes so long to grow that you must obtain a permit to interact with it at all—those who don’t comply risk a hefty fine and even up to 25 years in prison.
Arkansas: No mispronouncing the state’s name
Visitors, beware: It’s against the law to pronounce “Arkansas” incorrectly. Per the state code, the only acceptable pronunciation is “in three (3) syllables, with the final ‘s’ silent, the ‘a’ in each syllable with the Italian sound and the accent on the first and last syllables.” Fortunately, this pretty dumb law, which was created in 1881, is seldom enforced and doesn’t impose a penalty.
California: No Christmas lights after January
You can ring in the holidays—but only for so long. In San Diego, there’s a code prohibiting residents from keeping their Christmas lights up past Feb. 2. Failure to take them down can result in a $250 fine, which is decidedly not festive.
Colorado: No snowballs
While there may be plenty of snow to go around, don’t expect to have snowball fights in Colorado. Some towns, including Aspen and Severance, prohibit throwing missiles—which snowballs (as well as catapults, slingshots and arrows) are considered to be. In 2018, a 9-year-old boy actually fought to have the law overturned. Though he didn’t win and the dumb law is still in place, it doesn’t usually come with a penalty, unless it causes an injury or accident.
Connecticut: Pickles must bounce
A pickle cannot be sold unless it bounces. According to a 1948 article, this law became a necessity after two scheming pickle packers tried to sell pickles “unfit for human consumption.” Connecticut’s Food and Drug Commissioner at the time proclaimed that a real pickle “should bounce” when dropped from the height of one foot. When the dumb law was first enacted, a man was arrested and fined $500, the maximum penalty back in 1948.
Delaware: No trick-or-treating after hours
To prevent “mischief of any sort,” children in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, may only go trick-or-treating between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m. on Halloween—unless Halloween falls on a Sunday, in which case, “such going door to door and house to house for treats shall take place on the evening of Oct. 30” instead. Is this one of the silly laws in the U.S.? Certainly. But while it’s considered criminal mischief, breaking it may come with a fine, usually less than $1,500.
Florida: You can’t be annoying
Bad news for those distant relatives you barely see. If they come for a visit in Florida and begin to annoy you … they’re breaking the law. The state has a nuisance statute that says “all nuisances that tend to annoy the community, injure the health of the citizens in general, or corrupt the public morals are misdemeanors of the second degree” and may be punished as such. But since what’s considered annoying is subjective, one of the dumbest laws in the states isn’t actually enforced. Whew!
Georgia: Don’t let your chickens cross the road
The city of Quitman, Georgia, has an ordinance that states, “It shall be unlawful for any person owning or controlling chickens, ducks, geese or any other domestic fowl to allow the same to run at large upon the streets or alleys of the city or to be upon the premises of any other person, without the consent of such other person.” Guess your chickens won’t be getting to the other side of the road in Georgia—unless you want to risk paying a small fine.
SOURCE: READERSDIGEST.COM
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