What are the strangest things lawmakers have vetoed?
50 Things You Won’t Believe Are Banned in the U.S.
Updated on Jul. 03, 2025
Alabama: No bear wrestling
Did you know that in Mobile, Alabama, silly string is illegal (as is confetti)? But no matter what city or town you’re in in Alabama, it is unlawful to promote or otherwise be involved with bear wrestling matches. That includes selling tickets to bear wrestling matches and/or training a bear to be a bear wrestler. This must be one of the dumbest laws in the country, because when we see a bear, all we want to do is run in the other direction.
Alaska: You can’t carry a bow and arrow
In the state of Alaska, it’s illegal to enter a bar if you’re already intoxicated. That actually makes some sense. Now, if only we could make sense of why, in the municipality of Nome, Alaska, it’s illegal to carry a bow and arrow when, generally speaking, bow-and-arrow hunting is permitted in the state.
Arizona: No camel hunting
In Arizona, the hunting of camels is prohibited. While this may seem like a nonsensical law—camels aren’t exactly native to Arizona—there is actually a logical reason for it: Before the Civil War, the U.S. Army experimented with camels in the Arizona desert before eventually giving up the project. The remaining camels were set free and are still protected to this day.
Arkansas: No honking your horn in front of a sandwich shop
In Little Rock, Arkansas, after 9 p.m., it’s illegal to honk your horn in front of a sandwich shop. So please, be patient at the drive-through.
California: No donning false whiskers
In 1872, California enacted a law banning false whiskers. Granted, this is only applicable if you’re using the disguise to cause a public offense or flee after being convicted of one, but it’s pretty specific. Since this law was enacted in 1872, one must assume there was a spate of people fleeing from the police and slapping on false beards and mustaches to avoid being caught.
Colorado: No throwing missiles at cars
Within the city limits of Alamosa, Colorado, it is illegal to throw missiles at cars. While you would hope your car is protected from missiles no matter where you are—this one is so obvious you wouldn’t even think it’s technically illegal—this Colorado city made sure to articulate the rule.
Connecticut: No kissing on Sundays
If you live in Hartford, Connecticut, you might want to avoid Sunday night dates with your significant other—it’s illegal for a man to kiss his wife on Sundays. The origin of this strange-but-true state fact is unknown, though while it still exists, it’s not enforced.
Delaware: You can’t trick-or-treat on a Sunday
In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, when Oct. 31 falls on a Sunday, trick-or-treating is not allowed, Halloween or not. Instead, the festivities are rescheduled for the day before.
Florida: No internet cafés
In 2013, Florida Governor Rick Scott signed into law House Bill 155, which was aimed at cracking down on illegal gambling in internet cafés. But the law had the effect of banning internet cafés in general (and resulted in an immediate shutdown of 1,000 of them). The law is still in effect, although these establishments keep popping up everywhere, in most cases claiming they aren’t engaging in the gambling that the law was intended to prohibit.
Georgia: No swearing around a human corpse
In the state of Georgia, you have to watch your mouth even around the deceased, otherwise you might not be able to run a funeral home. Apparently swearing isn’t good for business in any industry.
Hawaii: You can’t text and walk
A ban on pedestrians looking at mobile phones or texting while crossing the street took effect in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2017. Fines start at $15 and go as high as $99 for multiple violations. Laugh all you want, but texting while walking causes 11,000 injuries per year, and the bad habit could soon be banned in other states too.
Idaho: You can’t be in the same house as someone who has pot
Marijuana use is still illegal in most states, but in Idaho, you can’t even be in the same house as someone who possesses pot. If you’re caught on the premises with marijuana present, you can be fined up to $300 and sentenced to up to 90 days in jail (or both).
Illinois: You can’t wear saggy pants
In Lynwood, Illinois, saggy pants have been banned since 2008. The city ordinance issues fines ranging from $35 to $750 for pants that show more than 3 inches of underwear, and the ACLU reported via the Chicago Tribune that tickets had been issued under the ordinance 40 times by 2011. Collinsville, Illinois, overturned a similar ban in 2011.
Indiana: You can’t shoot fish
If something is easy, you might say it’s like “shooting fish in a barrel,” but then clearly, you haven’t been fishing in Indiana, where shooting fish is illegal, full stop, as is catching them with your bare hands.
Iowa: You can’t flash or streak naked
In Iowa, a person who exposes his or her “genitals or pubes” to another commits a serious misdemeanor, if he does so to arouse the sexual desires of himself/herself or the viewer and knows or should know the act is “offensive to the viewer.” The exception is if the viewer is the person’s spouse.
Kansas: No toy guns for minors
Kansas has several wacky laws, but our pick comes from Kansas City, Kansas. Minors are not allowed to purchase certain types of cap pistols, such as BB guns and Airsoft guns. Seems pretty normal compared with some of the others on this list—until you learn that in Kansas City, minors are allowed to buy shotguns freely. This quirk comes from the fact that minors can’t buy firearms with a barrel below 12 inches, making BB guns a problem, but leaving shotguns in the clear.
Kentucky: No selling Easter bunnies
In Kentucky, it is illegal to sell baby bunnies whose fur has been dyed. In fact, it’s illegal even to dye the bunnies in the first place. And for that matter, the law applies to baby chicks, ducklings and other birds. If you get caught doing so, you’re looking at a fine of up to $500.
Louisiana: No vampires
If you took True Blood or Interview with a Vampire a little too literally and have a taste for human blood (or, for that matter, animal blood), then you’d best satisfy your cravings in a state that is not Louisiana. Louisiana’s legislature, finding it “necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, morals, safety, and welfare and for the support of state government and its existing public institutions,” has banned the ingestion of human or animal blood (along with human or animal waste for good measure). Break this law, and you’re looking at five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.
Maine: No rollerskating on the sidewalk
In Biddeford, Maine, it’s illegal to roller-skate or ride your bike on the sidewalk, and in Augusta, Maine, don’t even think about letting your children set up a lemonade stand without clearing it first with the chief of police.
Maryland: No potty mouths at the playground
Doesn’t matter how frustrated you become when you can’t get your 6-year-old to share his sandbox toys with his 4-year-old brother. Doesn’t matter if you stub your toe. Whatever you do, just don’t use profanity at the playground in Cumberland, because that craziness is banned. If there were world records for silly laws, this one might win.
Massachusetts: You can’t buy a Christmas tree that’s too big for your car
In 2017, a Sudbury, Massachusetts, police officer pulled over a car for carrying a tree that was too big for it. “Sudbury PD would like to remind you to transport your holiday trees responsibly,” the police posted on Facebook in reference to the incident.
Michigan: No public peeing
A moment of bad judgment can create a lifetime of unfortunate consequences in a number of Michigan municipalities. We’re talking about public urination here, and laugh all you want, but it’s still a serious offense, because not only can you be forced to pay a fine of up to $500 and face up to 90 days in jail, but you may be required to register as a sex offender.
Minnesota: You can’t be charged with public drunkenness
Want to walk the streets drunk in Minnesota? Be my—or rather, their—guest. While you can still be charged with assault or property damage if you do those things while drunk, or a DUI if you drive drunk, you can’t be charged for the crime of simply being drunk in public, unlike in other states.
Mississippi: No teaching about polygamy
The state of Mississippi bans the teaching of “the doctrines, principles, or tenets, or any of them, of polygamy.” If you’re convicted of this, or of even attempting to do it, you could face imprisonment for up to six months (and no less than one month).
Missouri: No hitching a ride on a moving vehicle
In Columbia, Missouri, it is illegal for anyone riding a bicycle or roller skates to attach themselves to any moving vehicle on a roadway.
Montana: No giving away rats as gifts
In the city of Billings, Montana, you can buy, sell and give away rats as long as they’re to be used as food for snakes or birds of prey (or both). For any other purpose, it’s illegal—just one of the bizarre things that are banned around the world. If you’re not sure whether your pet bird is a “bird of prey,” you might want to pay a visit to Idaho’s Birds of Prey Conservation Area (in Snake River, Idaho).
Nebraska: You can’t get married if you have an STD
Under the laws of the State of Nebraska, “no person who is afflicted with a venereal disease” is allowed to marry. That being said, the applicable Nebraska case law holds that a marriage where one person is afflicted is not void, but is voidable.
Nevada: You can’t lie down on the sidewalk
Don’t even think about lying down on the sidewalk in Reno, Nevada, because it is 100% banned—except in the case of an actual emergency.
New Hampshire: No making off with seaweed
When in New Hampshire, be sure to leave the seaweed where you find it, because carrying away seaweed from the seashore is illegal.
New Jersey: You can’t text and walk
As in Hawaii, one municipality in New Jersey—Fort Lee—has banned the compelling but unsafe (and annoying to others) habit of texting while walking. Violations carry an $85 ticket.
New Mexico: You can’t duel anyone
Although everyone is now firmly in the 21st century, New Mexico still bans dueling. Guess you’ll have to find another way to settle that blood feud.
New York: No drinking before the brunch hour
In New York City, it’s illegal for a restaurant to serve an alcoholic beverage before 10 a.m. on Sunday. For those who enjoy a really early brunch (aka breakfast), that rules out mimosas.
North Carolina: No crimes against nature
North Carolina prohibits all “crimes against nature.” What are crimes against nature, you might ask? Well, for starters, the crime can include consensual sex between two people, with a couple of caveats: “If any man and woman, not being married to each other, shall lewdly and lasciviously associate, bed and cohabit together, they shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.” We’ll just leave that to your imagination.
North Dakota: No sex with birds
It’s illegal in North Dakota to perform a “deviate sexual act” with the intent to be gratified. Violating this law comes with a hefty penalty: up to one year in prison, a fine of $2,000, or both. Luckily (for some), North Dakota defines “deviate sexual act” to mean “sexual contact with an animal, bird, or dead person.”
Ohio: No arrests on Sundays
You can’t be arrested on a Sunday in Ohio. You also can’t be arrested on the Fourth of July or during a session of the State Congress.
Oklahoma: No horse-tripping
In the state of Oklahoma, it’s illegal to engage in “horse-tripping.” According to SHARK (Showing Animals Respect and Kindness), “horse-tripping is an incredibly cruel event which involves the roping of a horse’s feet, forcing them to trip and fall.” So, even though this event seems somewhat obscure, we applaud you, Oklahoma. Keeping life safe for horses and other animals should be a no-brainer.
Oregon: No peeing in a bottle
Thinking about taking a road trip in Oregon? Well, you’d better plan out your pit stops, because Oregon happens to be very particular about the way they want residents and visitors to dispose of their personal waste—by which we mean urine and fecal matter. Specifically, you can’t dispose of a container of urine or other human waste on or beside the highway.
Pennsylvania: No cell phones in the courtroom
In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, they’re cracking down hard on distractions in the courthouse. Specifically, all cell phones and all audio-recording devices are banned in several courthouses throughout the county. That goes for the press, as well—so one might wonder, is this a blow against the freedom of the press?
Rhode Island: No biting off someone’s finger
Rhode Island very reasonably prohibits the biting off of the “limb or member” of another person. It also prohibits putting an eye out and slitting the nose, ear or lip of another person. In all cases, the punishment is up to 20 years in prison.
South Carolina: No working on Sunday
South Carolina law provides that “on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday,” it’s illegal to “engage in worldly work, labor, business” or the sale of consumer goods or to employ others to do so. The one exception is made in Charleston County, where those who observe the Sabbath on the “seventh day of the week” (i.e. Saturday) may work on Sunday, as long as they refrain on Saturday. But don’t worry, the law, which dates back to the 1800s, is rarely enforced, so you can still grocery shop, eat out, fly out of town or take an emergency trip to the hospital if need be.
South Dakota: No causing static
No one likes static, but in South Dakota, the anti-static sentiment can only be described as “epic.” In fact, it’s against the law to cause static in the municipality of Huron, South Dakota. It’s important to note that the sort of static this law refers to is not the kind that makes your hair stand on end, but the kind that causes crackling noises and “snow” on your television.
Tennessee: No sharing your Netflix password
In Tennessee, you can’t share your Netflix password (or any other password for a paid subscription streaming service). In 2011, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a bill into law to this effect. The law was supposedly targeted at hackers who stole and shared login information, but it also made it a crime for users to share their login information with friends and family. Getting caught could mean up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500. Of course, now that Netflix has banned password sharing altogether, the law is of little consequence.
Texas: No sex between people of the same gender
The Texas penal code specifically prohibits what it calls “deviate sexual intercourse” between people of the same gender. But, while this law is still on the books, it’s unenforceable thanks to the 2003 Supreme Court decision in Lawrence V. Texas, which deemed it unconstitutional.
Utah: You can’t throw snowballs
In Provo, Utah, you may not throw a stone, stick or snowball that damages property, makes it dangerous to be on the streets, or “in such a manner as to frighten or annoy any traveler.”
Vermont: You can’t serve apple pie without ice cream
It’s not exactly a ban, but it’s kind of crazy nevertheless: Since 1999, in Vermont, when serving apple pie, the official state pie, “a good faith effort” is required to be made to also serve a glass of cold milk, a slice of cheddar cheese weighing a minimum of 1/2 ounce or a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Virginia: You can’t go trick-or-treating if you’re older than 14
If you’re over the age of 14 in Chesapeake, Virginia, you’re not allowed to go trick-or-treating on Halloween, or you risk a fine of up to $100, a jail stay of up to six months or both.
Washington: You, with a cold
If you have a cold or other contagious disease in Washington, it’s best that you just stay home. The state stipulates that “every person who shall willfully expose himself or herself to another … in any public place or thoroughfare, except upon his or her or its necessary removal in a manner not dangerous to the public health … shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
West Virginia: No dueling if you’re planning on running for office
One thing you can be sure of in West Virginia is that anyone who holds public office has never been involved in a duel. Specifically, anyone who, in West Virginia or elsewhere, fights a duel with deadly weapons or sends or accepts a challenge to do so, is forever banned from “holding any office of honor, trust, or profit” in the state.
Wisconsin: No snowball fights
Apparently, Wausau, Wisconsin, took a page out of Provo, Utah’s handbook to ban snowball fights, lumping snowballs in with objects, arrows, stones and other missiles. While the original section of the municipal code no longer lists snowballs, it’s still listed in the citations for the same code—though it’s unlikely either is really enforced.
Wyoming: No entering a mine when you’re drunk
In Wyoming, it’s illegal to enter a mine while intoxicated. Failure to heed this law is a misdemeanor but carries with it a fine of up to $500 and possible imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year. Something else you shouldn’t do while drunk in Wyoming? Sell metals, rubber, rags, paper and other stuff, because your purchaser will be violating the law.
Additional reporting by Isabel Roy.
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
