Next page in the strange laws series
Ohio
• According to Ohio law, it's against the law to kill a housefly within 160 feet of a church without a license.
• A policeman may bite a dog to quiet him. However, the reverse is not true, even if it's a police dog.
• Bay Village: It is illegal to walk a cow down Lake Road.
• Bexley: The installation and usage of slot machines in outhouses is prohibited.
• Breast feeding is not allowed in public.
• Cars are not allowed to scare horses in Centerville, Ohio.
• Cincinnati: Anal intercourse is banned.
• Cleveland: It's illegal to catch mice without a hunting license!
• Cleveland law forbids you to operate a motor vehicle while sitting in another person's lap.
• In Cleveland, Ohio, women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes, lest men see reflections of their underwear.
• Clinton County: Any person who leans against a public building will be subject to fines.
• In Chillicothe, Ohio it is illegal to throw rice at weddings.
• Columbus: It is illegal for stores to sell corn flakes on Sunday.
• Fairview Park: It's against the law to honk your horn "excessively". A grandmother was fined for honking her horn twice at her neighbor. Items left on a tree lawn become city property. A young man was fined for removing an item from a tree lawn even though he had the owner's permission.
• Funeral jargon seems to have crept into the wording of a cemetery fee regulation in Norton, Ohio. There regular plots are $33, but "creamies" are $75.
• In Columbus, Ohio it is illegal to sell cornflakes on Sunday.
• In Marysville, Ohio it is illegal for a dog to urinate on a parking meter.
• In the hippy-dippy late '60s, Youngstown, Ohio, briefly had a law making it illegal to walk barefoot through town.
• In ohio it is illegal to ride on the roof of a taxi cab
• In ohio it is illegal to run out of gas
• In Ohio women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes, lest men see reflections of their underwear
• In Ohio, if you ignore an orator on Decoration day to such an extent as to publicly play croquet or pitch horseshoes within one mile of the speaker's stand, you can be fined $25.00.
• In Oxford, Ohio, it's illegal for a woman to strip off her clothing while standing in front of a man's picture.
• In Oxford, Ohio, it is unlawful for a woman to appear in public while unshaven. This includes legs and face.
• In Xenia, Ohio, it's illegal to spit in a salad bar
• Ironton: Cross-dressing is against the law.
• It is against the law to roller skate without notifying the police.
• It is illegal for more than five women to live in a house.
• It is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday.
• It is illegal to get a fish drunk.
• It is illegal to mistreat anything of great importance.
• It is legal to throw a snake at someone but it is illegal to shake a snake at someone.
• Items left on a tree lawn become city property. A young man was fined for removing an item from a tree lawn
• even though he had the owner's permission.
• Items left on a tree lawn become city property. A young man was fined for removing an item from a tree lawn even though he had the owner's permission.
• It's illegal to catch mice without a hunting license.
• Lima: Any map that does not have Lima clearly stated on the map cannot be sold.
• Lowell: It is unlawful to run a horse over five miles per hour.
• Marion: You cannot eat a doughnut and walk backwards on a city street.
• McDonald: Your goose may not paraded down Main Street.
• No one may be arrested on Sunday or on the Fourth of July.
• No one may be arrested on Sunday or on the Fourth of July.
• North Canton: It is against the law to roller skate without notifying the police.
• Owners of tigers must notify authorities within one hour if the tiger escapes.
• Oxford: It's illegal for a woman to strip off her clothing while standing in front of a man's picture.
• Participating or conducting a duel is prohibited.
• Paulding: A policeman may bite a dog to quiet him.
• Riding on the roof of a taxi cab is not allowed.
• The Ohio driver's education manual states that you must honk the horn whenever you pass another car.
• Throwing a snake at anyone is illegal.
• Toledo: Throwing a snake at anyone is illegal.
• Women are forbidden from wearing patent leather shoes, lest men see reflections of their underwear.
• Women are prohibited from wearing patent leather shoes in public.
• Women aren't allowed to wear patent-leather shoes in Cleveland, Ohio, a man might see the reflection of something "he oughtn't!"
• You cannot eat a doughnut and walk backwards on a city street.
• You may not run out of gas.
• Youngstown: Riding on the roof of a taxi cab is not allowed. You may not run out of gas.
Oklahoma
• Alfalfa Bill Murray was a legendary legislator in Oklahoma around the turn of the century who became speaker of the house and governor. He was also a tall fellow, and nothing ticked him off more than going into a hotel and having short sheets on the bed. In 1908 he had a law passed that required all hotels in the Sooner state to have sheets that covered the bed and had three extra feet of linen to cover the head and feet. The so-called "Nine Foot Sheet" stayed on the books for several decades, until after Alfalfa went to his last resting place.
• A City Ordinance in Oklahoma, states that it shall be unlawful to put any hypnotized person in a display window.
• Ada: If you wear New York Jets clothing, you may be put in jail.
• Anyone arrested for soliciting a hooker must have their name and picture shown on television.
• Cars must be tethered outside of public buildings.
• Clinton, Oklahoma has a law against masturbating while watching two people having sex in a car.
• Clinton: Molesting an automobile is illegal.
• Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property.
• Females are forbidden from doing their own hair without being licensed by the state.
• Fish may not be contained in fishbowls while on a public bus.
• Harthahorne City Ordinance, Section 363, states that it shall be unlawful to put any hypnotized person in a display window.
• If she's not a virgin, it is okay, but the said person must be over 16. If both parties are under 18, then the law does not apply.
• If you wear New York Jets clothing, you may be put in jail.
• In Broken Arrow, Oklahoma pigs less than 32 inches in length may be kept as pets provided there are no more than two in a house.
• In Bromide, Oklahoma it is illegal for children to use towels as capes and jump from houses pretending to be superman.
• In Oklahoma... Dogs must have a permit signed by the mayor in order to congregate in groups of three or more on private property. Oklahoma will not tolerate anyone taking a bite out of another's hamburger.
• In Oklahoma, people who make "ugly faces" at dogs may be fined and/or jailed.
• In Tulsa, Oklahoma the limit on kisses is three minutes (by law).
• In Tulsa, Oklahoma, it is against the law to open a soda bottle without the supervision of a licensed engineer.
• It is against the law to read a comic book while operating a motor vehicle.
• It is illegal to have sex before you are married.
• It is illegal to have the hind legs of farm animals in your boots.
• It is illegal to wear your boots to bed.
• It's statutory rape for a man over 18 to have sex with a female under the age of 18, provided she's a virgin. If she's not a virgin, it is okay, but the said person must be over 16. If both parties are under 18, then the law does not apply.
• Molesting an automobile is illegal.
• No one may spit on a sidewalk.
• Oklahoma City: No one may walk backwards downtown while eating a hamburger.
• Oklahoma will not tolerate anyone taking a bite out of another's hamburger.
• One may not promote a "horse tripping event".
• Oral sex is a misdemeanor and is punisable by one year in jail and a $2,500 fine.
• People who make "ugly faces" at dogs may be fined and/or jailed.
• Residents are taxed for the furniture in their homes, and any other personal belongings.
• Schulter: Women may not gamble in the nude, in lingerie, or while wearing a towel.
• Tattoos are banned.
• Tissues are not to be found in the back of one's car.
• Tulsa: You may not open a soda bottle without the supervision of a licensed engineer. Elephants are not to be taken into the downtown area.
• Violators can be fined, arrested or jailed for making ugly faces at a dog.
• Whale hunting is strictly prohibitted throughout the entire state of Oklahoma.
• Whaling is illegal.
• Women may not gamble in the nude, in lingerie, or while wearing a towel.
• Wynona: One's mode of transportation must be tied up while not attended. Mules may not drink out of bird baths. Clothes may not be washed in bird baths.
• Yukon: It is illegal to tie a horse in front of city hall. While passing another vehicle, you must honk your horn.
Oregon
• Beaverton: You must buy a $10 permit to be allowed to install a burglar alarm.
• Canned corn is not to be used as bait for fishing.
• Dishes must drip dry.
• Eugene: It is illegal to show movies or attend a car race on Sundays. It is legal to conduct a horse race or a symphony concert.
• Hood River: Juggling is strictly prohibited without a license.
• In Oregon anyone with a bad reputation is prohibited from distributing malt beverages.
• In Salem, Oregon, it's illegal for patrons of establishments that feature nude dancing to be within two feet of the dancers.
• In Willowdale, Oregon, no man may curse while having sex with his wife.
• It is against the law for animals to have sex in the city limits.
• It is illegal to buy or sell marijuana, but it is legal to smoke it on your own property.
• It is illegal to whisper "dirty" things in your lover's ear during sex.
• It's against the law for a wedding ceremony to be performed at a skating rink.
• It's against the law in Willowdale, Oregon, for a husband to curse during sex.
• Just to let you guys know. there is a law in Portland, Oregon saying that it is illegal to own bolt cutters but yet they sell them in all the local hardware stores. One of our friends got pulled over for carrying a bolt cutter down the street and the police took it away from him saying it was illegal for him to have. (Reader Submitted)
• Klamath Falls: It's illegal to walk down a sidewalk and knock a snakes head off with your cane.
• Marion: Ministers are forbidden from eating garlic or onions before delivering a sermon.
• Ministers are forbidden from eating garlic or onions before delivering a sermon.
• Myrtle Creek: One may not box with a kangaroo.
• No more than two people may share a single drink.
• One may not bathe without wearing "suitable clothing," i.e., that which covers one's body from neck to knee.
• One may not box with a kangaroo.
• People may not whistle underwater.
• Portland: It's against the law for a wedding ceremony to be performed at a skating rink. People may not whistle underwater. You cannot wear roller skates in restrooms.
• Salem: Women may not wrestle in Salem. Springfield It is illegal to own a reptile within the city limits, unless you are a school or city, as a pet.
• Stanfield: It is against the law for animals to have sex in the city limits. Cloth towel dispensers are banned from restrooms. No more than two people may share a single drink.
• The "Peer Review Statute" prohibits you from finding out details of any written or oral discussion about your medical treatment. Not even a court of law can. All you can access is what the doctor or nurse voluntarily records in your chart.
• You may not pump your own gas in service stations.
• You must let your dishes drip dry.
Pennsylvania
• A person is not eligible to become Governor if he/she has participated in a duel.
• A special cleaning ordinance bans homemakers from hiding dirt and dust under a rug in a dwelling.
• All fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires.
• Allentown: There is a ban on men becoming aroused in public.
• Any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue.
• 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.
• By law, "watch stuffers" are unwelcome in McKeesport, Pa. Now, no one is quite sure what a watch stuffer does, but whatever he does, he better do it somewhere else.
• Carlisle: In the middle of town, one must pay a fee of $50 dollars a year to park on a particular block. At night, however, the cars must be moved for street cleaning. This law is enforced even if snow or ice prevents the cars from being moved.
• Connellsville: One's pants may be worn no lower than five inches below the waist.
• Danville: All fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires.
• Dynamite is not to be used to catch fish.
• Fireworks stores may not sell fireworks to Pennsylvania residents.
• If a motorist sees a horse coming down the road, the driver must pull off to the side of the road and cover the vehicle with canvas. If the horse is still scared the driver must get out of his car and take it apart until the horse isn't scared anymore.
• In Bensalem, Pennsylvania it is illegal to race mufflerless go-karts after 6PM on Sunday.
• In Harrisburg, Pennsylvania it is illegal to have sex with a truck driver inside a toll booth.
• In Hazelton, Pennsylvania, there is a law on the books that prohibits a person from sipping a carbonated drink while lecturing students in a school auditorium.
• In Pennsylvania, "any motorist driving along a country road at night must stop every mile and send up a rocket signal, wait 10 minutes for the road to be cleared of livestock, and continue."
• In Philadelphia, you can't put pretzels in bags.
• In the Mount Pocono region any group of 5 or more Native Americans are to be considered a raiding party and may be killed on the spot.
• In York, Pennsylvania, you can't sit down while watering your lawn with a hose.
• It sounds like the title of a rock album or something, but "Coasting on Beaver Street" is illegal in Edgeworth, Pa.
• It is contrary to Pennsylvania law to discharge a gun, cannon, revolver or other explosive weapon at a wedding.
• It is illegal to have over 16 women live in a house together because that constitutes a brothel. However up to
• 120 men can live together, without breaking the law.
• It it illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outdoors.
• Millville: One may not shoot any dog that is found wandering the streets. The sale of alcohol is prohibited.
• Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages when either the bride or groom is drunk.
• Morrisville: It is required that a woman have a permit to wear cosmetics.
• Motorized vehicles are not to be sold on Sundays.
• Newtown: Every outlet or switch (which can be purchased for 59 cents) that is installed requires an electrical inspection fee of 1 dollar and 33 cents.
• No man may purchase alcohol without written consent from his wife.
• No more than two packages of beer at a time may be purchased, unless you are buying from an official "beer distributor"
• No one is allowed to sleep on a refrigerator. Stoves, dishwashers and microwave ovens are not specifically mentioned.
• Pittsburgh: It is still illegal to bring a donkey or a mule onto a trolley car. No one is allowed to sleep on a refrigerator.
• Ridley Park: You cannot walk backwards eating peanuts in front of the Barnstormers Auditorium during a performance.
• Tarentum: Horses are not to be tied to parking meters.
• The state law of Pennsylvania prohibits singing in the bathtub.
• Though you do not need a fishing license to fish on your own land, but a hunting license is required to hunt on your own land.
• Though you do not need a fishing license to fish on your own land, a hunting license is required to hunt on your own land.
• Witchcraft was first legalized in the colony of Pennsylvania.
• You may not catch a fish by any body part except the mouth.
• You may not catch a fish with your hands.
• You may not sing in the bathtub.
Rhode Island
• Any marriage where either of the parties is an idiot or lunatic is null and void.
• Exercising any labor, business, or work, or using any game, sport, play, or recreation, or causing any of the above to be done to or by your children, servants, or apprentices on the first day of the week (Sunday) results in a penalty of $5 for the first offense and $10 for the second.
• In Providence, Rhode Island it is illegal to sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same customer on a Sunday.
• In Newport, Rhode Island it is illegal to smoke from a pipe after sunset.
• In Scituate, Rhode Island it is illegal to keep a flock of chickens in your motorhome if you live in a trailer park.
• Impersonating a town sealer, auctioneer, corder of wood, or a fence-viewer is against the law. Penalty: $20 to $100 fine.
• It is considered an offense to throw pickle juice on a trolley.
• It is illegal to challenge someone to a duel, or accept a duel, even it it is never actually fought. Penalty: Imprisonment for one to seven years.
• It is illegal to coast downhill in your car with your transmission in neutral, or with the clutch disengaged.
• It is illegal to place a windmill within twenty-five (25) rods of any traveled street or road.
• It's a misdemeanor to keep more than 11 inoperable vehicles in front of a house.
• Professional sports, except ice polo and hockey, must obtain a license to play games on Sunday.
• Providence There is not an appeals process for exemption of property tax due to a disability or poverty. It is illegal to wear transparent clothing. You may not sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same customer on a Sunday.
• Riding a horse over any public highway for the purpose of racing, or testing the speed of the horse is illegal. Penalty: Maximum $20 fine and imprisonment for 10 days.
• This state still prohibits unmarried people from having sex under any circumstances. However, if caught, the lovers are both fined only 10 dollars
• West Warwick It is illegal to use water on even-numbered days for the sole purpose of watering plants, gardens, or lawns. If you break this law there is a fine of $25-$100.
• You may not sell toothpaste and a toothbrush to the same customer on a Sunday
South Carolina
• A railroad my not remove itself from a town of more than five hundred people.
• All schools must prepare a suitable program for Francis Willard Day.
• By law, if a man promises to marry an unmarried woman, the marriage must take place.
• Charleston: It is against the law to drive a motorized vehicle on King Street. The Fire Department may blow up your house. This law was made so that the fire department could create a fire brake.
• Dance halls may not operate on Sundays.
• Every adult male must bring a rifle to church on Sunday in order to ward off Indian attacks.
• Fortune tellers are required to obtain a special permit from the state.
• Fountain Inn: Horses are to wear pants at all times.
• Horses may not be kept in bathtubs.
• In some church in South Carolina, every man must bring a rifle to church on Sunday to ward off Indian attacks.
• In some town in South Carolina, it is perfectly legal for a man to beat his wife. But only if its on the courthouse steps on Sunday.
• In South Carolina, wife beaters weren't allowed to hold public office.
• In South Carolina you can be fined for not denouncing "the evils of intemperance" on the fourth Friday of every October.
• It is a capital offense to inadvertently kill someone while attempting suicide.
• It is considered an offense to get a tattoo.
• It is illegal to communicate with a woman using obscene messages.
• It is illegal to display a confederate flag on a courthouse.
• It is illegal to give or receive oral sex.
• It is illegal to sell any alcoholic beverages on Sunday, unless you own a private club.
• It is legal to beat your wife on a Sunday morning on the steps of the state house.
• It is perfectly legal to beat your wife on the court house steps on Sundays.
• Lancaster County: It is illegal to dance in public.
• Merchandise may not be sold within a half mile of a church unless fruit is being sold.
• Musical instruments may not be sold on Sunday.
• No work may be done on Sunday. An exception is that light bulbs may be sold.
• On Hilton Head Island, South Carolina it is illegal to shine a flashlight on a sea turtle
• Performing a U-turn within 1,000 feet of an intersection is illegal.
• Railroad companies may be held liable in some instances for scaring horses.
• Spartanburg: Eating watermelons in the Magnolia Street cemetery is forbidden.
• When approaching a four way or blind intersection in a non-horse driven vehicle you must stop 100 ft from the intersection and discharge a firearm into the air to warn horse traffic.
South Dakota
• If there are more than 5 Native Americans on your property you may shoot them.
• In hotels in Sioux Falls, every room is required to have twin beds. And the beds must always be a minimum of two feet apart when a couple rents a room for only one night. And it's illegal to make love on the floor between the beds!
• In South Dakota no horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.
• In South Dakota it is illegal to try to convince a pacifist to renounce his beliefs by threatening to arm-wrestle him.
• 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.
• No horses are allowed into Fountain Inn unless they are wearing pants.
• Spearfish: If three or more Indians are walking down the street together, they can be considered a war party and fired upon.
Tennessee
•"Crimes against nature" are prohibited.
• Any person crippling, killing or in any way destroying a proud bitch that is running at large shall not be held liable for the damages due to such killing or destruction.
• Driving is not to be done while asleep.
• Dyersburg: It is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
• Fayette County: You may not have more than five inoperable vehicles on a piece of property.
• Giving and receiving oral sex is still prohibited by law.
• Hollow logs may not be sold.
• In Jonesboro, Tenn., a slingshot used to be classified by law as a deadly weapon.
• In Memphis, it is illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it, waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians.
• In Tennessee hollow logs may not be sold.
• In Tennessee it is illegal to use a lasso to catch fish.
• It is illegal for a woman to call a man for a date.
• It is illegal to catch a fish with a lasso.
• It is illegal to use a lasso to catch a fish.
• It is legal to gather and consume road kill
• It's illegal for frogs to croak after 11 PM.
• Knoxville: In front of their buildings, all businesses must have a "hitching post."
• Lenoir City: When you pull up to a stop sign you must fire a gun out the window to warn horse carriages that you are coming.
• Lexington: No one may eat ice cream on the sidewalk. Spitting on the sidewalk is prohibited.
• Memphis: Illegal for a woman to drive a car unless there is a man either running or walking in front of it waving a red flag to warn approaching motorists and pedestrians. It's illegal for frogs to croak after 11 PM. Panhandlers must first obtain a $10 permit before begging on the streets of downtown Memphis. 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.
• More than 8 women may not live in the same house because that would constitute a brothel.
• Nashville: Males may not be sexually aroused in public.
• Stealing a horse is punishable by hanging.
• The age of consent is 16, but 12 if the girl is a virgin.
• You can't shoot any game other than whales from a moving automobile. Oneida: An ordinance forbids anyone to sing the song "It Ain't Goin' To Rain No Mo'."
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