World's Most Bizarre Laws

When surfing 4 funny signs to post in PMM's topic, I stumbled upon this cool info about the most bizarre laws of the world.

Here's a few that caught my attention:

Yellow margarine is illegal in Missouri, US
Did you know that if you buy yellow margarine in Missouri you're committing a crime? A 19th century state law banned the sale of yellow margarine, though "it's been years since any violator was ordered to spread them." Most of Missouri's restrictions on imitation butter date to 1895, and they were last amended in 1939. Although the state no longer enforces them, the penalties could still make dealers in contraband dairy product toast: up to a month in jail and a $100 fine for first-time offenders and six months in jail and a $500 fine for repeat offenders.

It's illegal to sell sex toys in the state of Alabama, US
In Alabama, the justice is not only blind but sexually frustrated. Alabama's anti-obscenity law, enacted in 1998, bans the distribution of "any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs for anything of pecuniary value." The law does not ban the possession of sex toys; residents may legally purchase sex toys out of state for use in Alabama. Be aware, five minutes of pleasure can cost you a lot, since the law has strong penalties: Up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine for a first offense. A second offense carries a prison sentence of one to 10 years.

In the Netherlands, you are allowed to smoke cannabis but not tobacco (in public places)

The bizarre Dutch policy of allowing smokers to puff away on pure cannabis but not tobacco has perplexed police in the Netherlands, who have fined a man for mixing the two substances. Zero tolerance to tobacco smoking in Dutch cafes and restaurants is being exercised since a ban came into force in 2008. The man was not fined for smoking a cannabis joint but for smoking. You can smoke cannabis but not tobacco in coffee shops. The unnamed 27-year-old man was caught lighting a hand rolled cannabis joint during a routine police check, and fined because officers found tobacco mixed with the soft drug.

The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen
The Royal Prerogative 1324 decrees that any whale or sturgeon found on the British coast belongs to the monarch. The law is very much still in place, as fisherman Robert Davies found out in 2004 when he was investigated by police in Plymouth. He had faxed the Royal Household to tell them he had caught a sturgeon, and was told to keep it, but did not realize it was still illegal to try and sell it.

Now let's just see what the rest of u out there can come up with.

I found some good British ones:

It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament

In the UK, a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants.

This one was actually highlighted in a news article on the TV recently.  So ladies if you are pregnant and visit UK, you can "go" wherever you want.

And my favourite:

In France it is forbidden to call a pig Napoleon!

blue

LOL! Too Funny Blue, here's some more:

In Washington state, it is against the law to boast that one's parents are rich.

In Maryland, it's illegal to play Randy Newman's "Short People" on the radio.

In Alabama it is illegal to play Dominoes on Sunday.

In Virginia, horses of more than one year old are prohibited in a place of worship.

In Tennessee, shooting any game other than whales from a moving automobile is against the law.

In Normal, Oklahoma you could be sent to prison for "making an ugly face at a dog."

What the heck is THAT all about? Strange, but supposedly TRUE.

Unbelievable - especially the "ugly face at a dog" one. 

I found a few more:

In Vermont women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.

And in the UK any boy under the age of 10 may not see a naked manequin

On the island of Jersey it's against the law for a man to knit during the fishing season!
Does any man know how to knit?

blue

What's up with that false teeth 1 u posted Blue??? U know that it had 2 be a MAN that made that 1 up. PERVS!

In Georgia it's illegal to evesdrop on your own conversation. In certain town squares in Britain it is legal on sunday to shoot a Welsh person with an arrow.

These are for the state of Arkansas:

The Arkansas River can rise no higher than to the Main Street bridge in Little Rock.

A law provides that school teachers who bob their hair will not get a raise.

A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month.

Oral sex is considered to be sodomy.

Alligators may not be kept in bathtubs.

In Fayetteville, Ar. it is illegal to kill "any living creature".

In Little Rock, Ar. Honking one’s car horn at a sandwich shop after 9 PM is against the law.
Full text of the LawSec.
18-54. Sounding of horns at sandwich shops. No person shall sound the horn on a vehicle at any place where cold drinks or sandwiches are served after 9:00 p.m. (Code 1961, § 25-74)

In Little Rock, Ar. No one may “suddenly start or stop‿ their car at a McDonald’s.
Full TextFull text of the Law

Dogs may not bark after 6 PM.

Flirtation between men and women on the streets of Little Rock may result in a 30-day jail term.

It is unlawful to walk one's cow down Main Street after 1:00 PM on Sunday.

LMAO..Ill keep that in mind next time Im walking my cow down Main St. lmaooooooooooooo

Gosh a simple innocent flirt could put you in jail... i'd be in jail all the time  :'( 

A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month....what??? That's totally wrong...
Alligators may not be kept in bathtubs....uh oh...okay...I am lost on that.
Flirtation between men and women on the streets of Little Rock may result in a 30-day jail term...crazy law!!!

Some rules! Ha! These laws really too much. I don't understand how people deal with it.

It's all so funny, I pulled up an old email that was sent to me.

Oklahoma: If dogs wish to congregate in groups of three or more on a private property, they need to obtain a permit which must be signed by the Mayor.

Idaho: It is illegal for a man to present a box of chocolates to his girlfriend if it weighs anything less than 50 pounds.  (I agree !)

Los Angeles: While committing a bank robbery, it is illegal to shoot the teller with a water pistol. 

Hong Kong: A betrayed wife is legally allowed to kill her adulterous husband, but may only do so with her bare hands. The husband’s lover, on the other hand, may be killed in any manner desired.

Canada: If you are released from prison, it is required that you are given a handgun with bullets and a horse, so you can ride out of town.

Memphis, Tennessee: It is illegal for a woman to drive by herself. A man must walk or run in front of the vehicle, waving a red flag in order to warn approaching pedestrians and motorists if the vehicle is going over 5 mph.

Kentucky, USA: No female shall appear in a bathing suit on any highway within this state unless she is escorted by at least two officers or unless she is armed with a club. The provisions of this statute shall not apply to females weighing less than 90 pounds nor exceeding 200 pounds, nor shall it apply to female horses.

Here's somethin' that might keep soma ya'all slightly entertained.......Since the NDBs seem 2 be practically nonexixtent at the moment.

Alabama
In Jasper, it is illegal for a husband to beat his wife with a stick larger in diameter than his thumb.
It is illegal to play Dominos on Sunday.
It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death.

Alaska
In Fairbanks, it is illegal to feed alcoholic beverages to a moose.
While it is legal to shoot bears, waking sleeping bears for the purpose of taking a photograph is prohibited.

Arizona
In Tucson, it is illegal for women to wear pants.
In Globe, it is illegal to play cards in the street with a Native American.
In Glendale, it is illegal to drive a car in reverse.
In Nogales, it is illegal to wear suspenders.

Arkansas
A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month.
In Fayetteville, it is illegal to kill "any living creature."
Schoolteachers who bob their hair may forfeit their pay raises.
Flirtation between men and women on the streets of Little Rock may result in a 30-day jail term.

California
In Los Angeles, a man may legally beat his wife with a leather strap, as long as it is less than two inches wide, or she
gives him permission to use a wider strap.
It is a misdemeanor to shoot at any kind of game from a moving vehicle, unless the target is a whale.
In Pacific Grove, "molesting" butterflies can result in a $500 fine.
In Pasadena, it is illegal for a secretary to be alone in a room with her boss.
It is illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license.
In Long Beach, it is illegal to curse on a mini-golf course.
In San Francisco, it is illegal to wipe one's car with used underwear.
It is illegal to cry on the witness stand in Los Angeles courts.

Colorado
In Durango, it is illegal to go out in public dressed in clothing "unbecoming" one's sex.
In Logan County, it is illegal for a man to kiss a woman while she is asleep.
In Pueblo, it is illegal to let a dandelion grow within city limits.

Connecticut
In Hartford, it is illegal to educate a dog.
It is illegal to dispose of used razor blades.
In New Britain, the speed limit for fire trucks is 25 m.p.h., even when going to a fire.
In Hartford, it is illegal for a man to kiss his wife on Sunday.

Delaware
In Lewes, it is illegal to wear pants that are "form-fitting" around the waist.
Getting married on a dare is grounds for an annulment.
It is illegal to fly over any body of water, unless one is carrying sufficient supplies of food and drink.

Florida
In Miami, it is illegal for a man to wear any kind of strapless gown.
Unmarried women who parachute on Sundays may be jailed.
In Sarasota, it is illegal to sing while wearing a bathing suit.

Georgia
All males in the state between the ages of 16 and 50 are required to work on public roads.
In Columbus, it is illegal to sit on one's porch in an indecent position.
In Quitman, it is illegal for a chicken to cross a road.
It is illegal to change the clothes on a storefront mannequin unless the shades are down.

Hawaii
It is illegal to appear in public wearing only swimming trunks.
It is illegal to own a mongoose without a permit.

Idaho
In Pocatello, "the carrying of concealed weapons is forbidden, unless same are exhibited to public view."
Also in Pocatello, "It is prohibited for pedestrians and motorists to display frowns, grimaces, scowls, threatening and
glowering looks, gloomy and depressed facial appearances, generally all of which reflect unfavorably upon the city's
reputation."
Boxes of candy given as romantic gifts must weigh more than 50 pounds.

Illinois
In Chicago, people who are diseased, maimed, mutilated, or deformed to the point of being "an unsightly or disgusting
object" are banned from going out in public.
In Chicago, it is illegal to fish in one's pajamas.
In Chicago, it is illegal to take a French poodle to the opera.
According to state law, it is illegal to speak English. The officially recognized language is "American."
In Guernee, it is illegal for women weighing more than 200 pounds to ride horses in shorts.
In Joliet, it is illegal to mispronounce the name Joliet.

Indiana
Monkeys are forbidden to smoke cigarettes in South Bend.
In Gary, it is illegal to attend the theater within four hours of eating garlic.
The Stepford Wives is banned in Warsaw.

Iowa
State law forbids any establishment from charging admission to see a one-armed piano player.
In Fort Madison, firemen are required to practice for 15 minutes before attending a fire.

Kansas
It is illegal for restaurants to sell cherry pie a la mode on Sundays.
In Wichita, a man's mistreatment of his mother-in-law may not be used as grounds for divorce.
In Wichita, it is illegal to carry a concealed bean snapper.
In Lang, it is illegal to ride a mule down Main Street in August, unless the animal is wearing a straw hat.
In Natoma, it is illegal to throw a knife at anyone wearing a striped shirt.

Kentucky
It is illegal for a woman to appear in a bathing suit on a highway unless she is: escorted by at least two police officers;
armed with a club; or lighter than 90 pounds or heavier than 200 pounds. The ordinance also specifically exempts
female horses from such restrictions.
State law stipulates that a person is considered sober until he or she "cannot hold onto the ground."
It is illegal to remarry the same man four times.

Louisiana
In New Orleans, fire trucks are required by law to stop at all red lights.
It is considered "simple assault" to bite someone in New Orleans; it is "aggravated assault" if the biter has false teeth.
It is against the law to gargle in public.

Maine
In Portland, it is illegal for men to tickle women under the chin with feather dusters.
The most money one can legally win gambling is three dollars.
In Rumford, it is illegal for a tenant to bite his/her landlord.
In Waterville, it is illegal to blow one's nose in public.

Maryland
In Baltimore, it is illegal to wash or scrub sinks, no matter how dirty they get.
Every person who has bowled since 1833 may be fined $2 for each offense.
In Halethorpe, it is illegal to kiss for more than one second.
It's illegal to mistreat oysters.
It's illegal to play Randy Newman's "Short People" on the radio.

Massachusetts
In Salem, even married couples are forbidden from sleeping in the nude in rented rooms.
It is illegal to wear a goatee without a license.
North Andover prohibits its citizens from carrying "space guns."
State legislation forbids dueling with water pistols.
In Boston, it is illegal to take a bath unless one has been ordered by a physician to do so.
In 1659, the state outlawed Christmas.

Michigan
In Clawson, it is legal for a farmer to "sleep with his pigs, cows, horses, goats, and chickens."
A state law stipulates that a woman's hair legally belongs to her husband.
In Detroit, it is illegal to make love in a car unless it is parked on your property.
In Detroit, it is illegal to "ogle" a woman from a moving car.
In Port Huron, the speed limit for ambulances in 20 m.p.h.
Under state law, dentists are officially classified as "mechanics."

Minnesota
Women may face up to 30 days in jail if they impersonate Santa Claus.
In Minneapolis, double-parkers can be put on a chain gang.
Every man in Brainerd is required by law to grow a beard.
It's illegal to tease skunks.

Mississippi
It is still legal to kill one's "servant."
In Truro, a would-be groom must "prove himself manly" prior to marriage by hunting and killing either six blackbirds or
three crows.

Missouri
In Saco, women are forbidden from wearing hats that "might frighten timid persons, children or animals."
In St. Louis, it is illegal for an on-duty firefighter to rescue a woman wearing a nightgown; in order to be rescued, a
woman must be fully dressed.
While children may purchase shotguns in Kansas City, they are not allowed to buy toy cap guns.
Missouri considers drunkenness an "inalienable right."

Montana
It is a felony for a wife to open her husband's mail.
It is a misdemeanor to show movies that depict acts of felonious crime.
In Whitehall, it is illegal to operate a vehicle with ice picks attached to the wheels.

Nebraska
It is illegal for a mother to give her daughter a perm without a state license.
In Waterloo, barbers are forbidden from eating onions between 7am and 7pm.
In Omaha, barbers are forbidden from shaving their customers' chests.
If a child burps during a church service in Omaha, his or her parents may be arrested.
It is illegal for bar owners to sell beer unless they are simultaneously brewing a kettle of soup.

Nevada
In Nyala, a man is forbidden from buying drinks for more than three people other than himself at any one period during
the day.
It is illegal to drive a camel on the highway.
In Eureka, men who wear moustaches are forbidden from kissing women.
Everyone walking on the streets of Elko is required to wear a mask.

New Hampshire
It is illegal to sell the clothes one is wearing to pay off a gambling debt.
It is illegal to check into a hotel under an assumed name.

New Jersey
It is against the law to "frown" at a police officer.
In Newark, it is illegal to sell ice cream after 6pm, unless the customer has a note from his doctor.
It is illegal to slurp soup.
In Trenton, it is illegal to throw a bad pickle in the street.

New Mexico
In Raton, it is illegal for a woman to ride horseback down a public street with a kimono on.
The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary is banned in Carlsbad.
State officials ordered 400 words of "sexually explicit material" to be cut from Romeo and Juliet.

New York
In New York City, it is illegal for a woman to be on the street wearing "body hugging clothing."
In New York City, it is illegal for a man to turn around and look "at a woman in that way," and violators are forced to
wear horse blinders.
In Staten Island, it is illegal for a father to call his son a "faggot" or "queer" in an effort to curb "girlie behavior."
In New York City, "It is disorderly conduct for one man to greet another on the street by placing the end of his thumb
against the tip of his nose, at the same time extending and wiggling the fingers of his hand."

North Carolina
In Charlotte, women must have their bodies covered by at least 16 yards of cloth at all times.
In Ashville, it is illegal to sneeze on city streets.
Ironically, Hornytown has banned all massage parlors.
State law mandates that all couples staying in rooms for one night must be kept in room with double beds, kept a
minimum of two feet apart, and making love on the floor between the beds is strictly forbidden.
It is illegal to have sex in a churchyard.

North Dakota
In Fargo, one may be jailed for wearing a hat while dancing, or even for wearing a hat to a function where dancing is
taking place.
It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your shoes on.
It is illegal to serve beer and pretzels at the same time in any bar, club, or restaurant.

Ohio
In Cleveland, women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes, lest men see reflections of their underwear.
In Columbus, it is illegal for stores to sell cornflakes on Sunday.
In Oxford, it is illegal for a women to disrobe in front of a man's picture.
In Youngstown, it is illegal to run out of gas.
Catch 22 is banned in Strongville.

Oklahoma
People who make "ugly faces" at dogs may be fined and/or jailed.
In Schulter, it is illegal for a woman to gamble in the nude, in lingerie, or while wearing a towel.

Oregon
One may not bathe without wearing "suitable clothing," i.e., that which covers one's body from neck to knee.
The town of Hood River prohibits the act of juggling without a license.
Salem has barred women's wrestling.
In Marion, ministers are forbidden from eating garlic or onions before delivering a sermon.

Pennsylvania
Any motorist who sights a team of horses coming toward him must pull well off the road, cover his car with a blanket
or canvas that blends with the countryside, and let the horses pass. If the horses appear skittish, the motorist must take
his car apart, piece by piece, and hide it under the nearest bushes."
In Morrisville, women need a permit to wear cosmetics.
Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk.

Rhode Island
In Providence, it is illegal to sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same customer on a Sunday.
It is illegal to throw pickle juice on a trolley.
In Newport, it is illegal to smoke a pipe after sunset.

South Carolina
Every citizen is obliged to carry his gun to church.
No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.
In Charleston, all carriage horses must wear diapers.

South Dakota
It is illegal to lie down and fall asleep in a cheese factory.
Movies that show police officers being struck, beaten, or treated in an offensive manner are forbidden.

Tennessee
It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish.
In Dyersburg, it is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
In Memphis restaurants, it is illegal to give any pie to fellow diners. It is also illegal to take unfinished pie home. All
pie must be eaten on the premises.
Also in Memphis, it is illegal for a woman to drive by herself; "a man must walk or run in front of the vehicle, waving a
red flag in order to warn approaching pedestrians and motorists."

Texas
The entire Encyclopedia Britannica is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home.
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.
In El Paso, churches, hotels, halls of assembly, stores, markets, banking rooms, railroad depots, and saloons are
required to provide spittoons "of a kind and number to efficiently contain expectorations into them."
It is illegal to milk another person's cow.
In Houston, it is illegal to sell Limburger cheese on Sunday.
In LeFors, it is illegal to take more than three swallows of beer while standing.
In San Antonio, it is illegal for both sexes to flirt or respond to flirtation using the eyes and/or hands.
In Mesquite, it is illegal for children to have unusual haircuts.

Utah
Birds have the right of way on all highways.
A husband is responsible for every criminal act committed by his wife while she is in his presence.
In Monroe, daylight must be visible between partners on a dance floor.

Vermont
Women must obtain written permission from their husbands to wear false teeth.
It is illegal to deny the existence of God.
It is illegal to whistle underwater.

Virginia
In Richmond, it is illegal to flip a coin in any eating establishment to determine who buys a cup of coffee.
In Norfolk, a man may face 60 days in jail for patting a woman's derriere.
There is a state law prohibiting "corrupt practices of bribery by any person other than candidates."
In Lebanon, it is illegal to kick your wife out of bed.

Washington
In Seattle, women who sit on men's laps on buses or trains without placing a pillow between them face an automatic
six-month jail term.
In Auburn, men who deflower virgins, regardless of age or marital status, may face up to five years in jail.
Seattle residents may not carry concealed weapons longer than six feet.
It is illegal to pretend that one's parents are rich.

West Virginia
In Nicholas County, no clergy members may tell jokes or humorous stories from the pulpit during church services.
Doctors and dentists may not place a woman under anesthesia unless a third person is present.
It is illegal to snooze on a train.

Wisconsin
In St. Croix, women are not allowed to wear anything red in public.
It is illegal to cut a woman's hair.
It is illegal to kiss on a train.
Cheese making requires a cheese maker's license; Limburger cheese making requires a master cheese maker's license.

Wyoming
It is illegal to wear a hat that obstructs peoples' view in a public theater or place of amusement.
It is illegal for women to stand within five feet of a bar while drinking

Ha ha ha...LuvKitty...I am still laughing!

Arizona
In Tucson, it is illegal for women to wear pants. Wonder if it is illegal for men to wear skirts then...
Arkansas
A man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month. Hell,why not? as long as I can beat him in a daily basis...

Also in Georgia: No one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket if it is Sunday. And also: Goldfish may not be given away to entice someone to enter a game of bingo.

That's an incredible list luvkitty.  I've not managed to finish reading it all yet but I just love this one so far:

It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church. and

In Gary, it is illegal to attend the theater within four hours of eating garlic.

Keep them coming.

blue

China banned Buddhist monks in Tibet from reincarnating without government permission. According to a statement issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs in 2007, the law, which strictly stipulates the procedures by which one is to reincarnate, is “an important move to institutionalize management of reincarnation.”

A 19th century state law banned the sale of yellow margarine. Most of Missouri’s restrictions on imitation butter date to 1895, and they were last amended in 1939. Although the state no longer enforces them, the penalties could still make dealers in contraband dairy product toast: up to a month in jail and a $100 fine for first-time offenders and six months in jail and a $500 fine for repeat offenders.

It’s illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament in England. The reason people are banned from dying in parliament is that it is a Royal palace. Anyone who dies there is technically entitled to a state funeral. So if they see you looking a bit sick they carry you out quickly. However, a spokesman for the House of Commons said: “The people who know about these things here say there is no basis for such a law, not to say it does not exist somewhere in writing.”

It’s illegal to sell sex toys in the state of Alabama. The justice is not only blind but sexually frustrated. Alabama’s anti-obscenity law, enacted in 1998, bans the distribution of “any device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs for anything of pecuniary value.” The law does not ban the possession of sex toys; residents may legally purchase sex toys out of state for use in Alabama. Be aware, five minutes of pleasure can cost you a lot, since the law has strong penalties: Up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine for a first offense. A second offense carries a prison sentence of one to 10 years.

WOW! That last 1 is just rediculous huh?