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62 Crazy United States Laws
**Many of these laws were established during the end of the 1800s and early 1900s, when the United States was rapidly changing from an agricultural to industrial nation. Some of the laws went out of date or were repealed. Many are still on the books but not enforced
Before 1920, it was illegal for women in the United States to vote. When women’s rights advocate Susan B. Anthony tried to vote in the 1872 election, she was arrested and fined $100.
01. It’s illegal to ride an ugly horse in Wilbur, Washington.
2. In Mohave County, Arizona, if anyone is caught stealing soap, he must wash himself with it until the soap is gone.
03. First cousins may marry in Utah, but only after they’re 65 years old.
04. In North Dakota, no one can be arrested on the Fourth of July, a holiday that is commonly known there as “Five Finger Discount Day.”
05. In Tennessee, it is illegal for children to play games on Sunday without a license.
06. It is illegal in Tennessee for an atheist to hold office.
07. In Indiana, it is illegal for a man to be sexually aroused in public.
08. It is illegal in California to lick toads. Apparently, some people were licking toads to get high. Unfortunately, some people were being harmed by the toads’ poison.
09. It is against Michigan state law to tie a crocodile to a fire hydrant.
10. An old Colorado law states that a person mush have a doctor’s prescription before taking a bath.
11.Colorado law states that a man cannot marry his wife’s grandmother.
12. In Kansas, when two trains meet at a crossing, “both shall come to full stop and neither shall start up again until the other has gone.”
13. A woman in a housecoat is forbidden to drive a car in California.
14. According to Minneapolis law, a person who double parks a car will be put on a chain gang with only bread and water to eat.
15. In Morrisville, Pennsylvania, it is illegal for a woman to wear cosmetics without a permit.
16. A man is forbidden to kiss a woman while she’s asleep in Logan County, Colorado.
17. In Challis, Idaho, it is illegal to walk down the street with another man’s wife.
18. Flirting in Little Rock, Arkansas, can land someone in jail for 30 days.
19. In Truro, Mississippi, a man must prove himself worthy before getting married by hunting and killing either six blackbirds or three crows.
20. There are still laws in Pueblo, Colorado, stating that it is illegal to grow dandelions.b
21. A woman in Memphis, Tennessee, is not allowed to drive a car unless a man is in front of the car waving a red flag to warn people and other cars.
22. It is illegal for children under the age of 12 to talk on the telephone unless accompanied by a parent in Blue Earth, Minnesota.
23. In Kalispell, Montana, children must have a doctor’s note if they want to buy a lollipop.
24. A representative from Oklahoma, Linda Larsen attempted to lower the divorce rate by proposing a law that would require the following before a marriage license would be issued: neither party should snore, at least one meal a week should be prepared by the non-primary cook, toothpaste should be squeezed from the bottom of the tube, pantyhose shouldn’t be left hanging in the shower, and the toilet seat should always be down when not being used.
25. It is illegal in Waco, Texas, to throw a banana peel onto the street because a horse could slip.
26. In Texas, the Encyclopedia Britannica was banned because it contained a formula for making beer.
27. Pickles were outlawed in Los Angeles because the smell might offend people.
28. It’s illegal in St. Louis, Missouri, for a fireman to rescue a woman wearing a nightgown. If she wants to be rescued, she must be fully clothed.
29. Hartford, Connecticut, banned men from kissing their wives on Sundays.
30. Buying ice cream on Sundays was illegal in Ohio because it was thought to be frivolous and “luxurious.” Consequently, ice cream vendors would put fruit on top of the ice cream to make it more nutritious, creating the ice cream sundae.
31. A woman wearing shorts, a halter top, or a bathing suit to a political rally in Wheatfield, Indiana, could be charged with a misdemeanor.
32. In Lander, Wyoming, it is illegal for adults to take a bath more than once a month once the cold weather arrives. Children cannot take a bath at all during the winter.
33. According to Florida law, anyone who takes a bath must wear clothes.
34. Motorists in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, cannot park a car for more than two hours unless it is hitched to a horse.
35. Women in Whitesville, Delaware, could be charged with disorderly conduct if they propose marriage to a man.
36. In Kentucky, it is against the law to remarry the same man four times.
37. There is a law in South Carolina that allows a husband to beat his wife on the courthouse steps on a Sunday.
38. In Arizona, oral sex is considered sodomy.
39. In Arizona, a man may legally beat his wife once a month, but no more.
40. In Kentucky, a woman is forbidden to wear a bathing suit on a highway unless she is armed with a club or is escorted by at least two officers. The amendment says that the provisions of this statue “shall not apply to a female weighing less than 90 pounds or exceeding 200 pounds.”
41. According to an Atlanta, Georgia, ordinance, “smelly people” are not allowed to ride public streetcars.
42. Massachusetts passed a law in 1648 that allowed a parent to put to death a stubborn or rebellious son. The law has been repealed by the legislature.
43. In Massachusetts, a person could be fined up to $200 for denying the existence of God.
44. In California, ostrich steaks are exempt from state sales tax.
45. In Lexington, Kentucky, it is against the law to carry an ice cream cone in a pocket.
46. In Zeigler, Illinois, only the first four firemen to arrive at a fire will be paid.
47. Bear wrestling matches are prohibited.
48. Incestuous marriages are legal.
49. It is illegal to impersonate a person of the clergy.
50. It is illegal to maim oneself to escape duty.
51. It is illegal to sell peanuts in Lee County after sundown on Wednesday.
52. It is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle.
53. Dominoes may not be played on Sunday.
54. It is illegal to wear a fake moustache that causes laughter in church.
55. Putting salt on a railroad track may be punishable by death.
56. Boogers may not be flicked into the wind.
57. It is legal to drive the wrong way down a one-way street if you have a lantern attached to the front of your automobile.
58. You must have windshield wipers on your car.
59. You may not have an ice cream cone in your back pocket at any time.
60. Masks may not be worn in public.
61. It is considered an offense to open an umbrella on a street, for fear of spooking horses.
62. Women are able to retain all property they owned prior to marriage in the case of divorce. However, this provision does not apply to men.
Newly added ones:
63. In Dyersburg, Tennessee, it is against the law for a girl to telephone a boy to ask for a date.
64. Policemen are allowed to bite a dog if they think it will calm the dog down in Paulding, Ohio.
65. In 1659, Massachusetts outlawed Christmas. According to state law, anybody observing Christmas would be fined five shillings.
66. In Eureka, Nevada, it is illegal for men who have mustaches to kiss women.
67. In Michigan, a woman’s hair belongs to her husband.
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