Image: Paul Souders/ DigitalVision/ Getty Images
About This Quiz
Because of really creative criminals or purely coincidental circumstances, America is filled with a bunch of crazy laws. Most of the crazy laws you hear about are misinterpretations of court rulings. Somewhere between the actual crime and the record of the crime, somebody confused the exact specifics of the ruling as a part of the law. Let's say somebody is convicted of a crime where the details of the case say they got up and sang in a movie theater on a Tuesday afternoon. Somehow the pattern of facts will get reported as a law, but rarely do governments enact laws like "no singing in movie theaters on Tuesday afternoon."
With that being said, some crazy laws are real laws. Some of them are just so old it's easier to leave them on the books than remove them. Very few crazy laws are ever enforced and most are never implemented, but that doesn't mean they aren't on the books. You'd be surprised how many laws you might've broken without even knowing it. If you ever honked your horn, swore in public or played pinball, you might have broken a law. It all depends on the state in which you were in when you did so. Take a look at these crazy laws, and see if you can match them to their state.
Alabama
Mississippi
Colorado
Apparently the police in Boulder, Colorado, were fed up with college kids burning couches, so they put this law into effect. This Colorado law applies to all indoor furniture, like chairs and mattresses as well. It's illegal to place indoor furniture anywhere in your yard.
Vermont
Advertisement
Tennessee
The "Tennessee Login Law" has been around since 2011 and is one of the country's most infamous. It prevents people from sharing login info — like usernames and passwords — for online services like Netflix and iTunes.
Maryland
Florida
Michigan
Advertisement
Wisconsin
New Hampshire
Washington
Maine
Entertainment establishments need a host of licenses to have any fun, and in Maine, bar owners who want patrons to drink and dance need to hold an amusement license. There's no dancing allowed at bars that serve alcohol and don't have amusement licenses.
Advertisement
New Jersey
Washington
Michigan
According to the Michigan Legislature, the first day of the week (Sunday) is meant for spending time with family. It's unlawful to sell or trade a new or used car on any Sunday. All car dealerships in the state are expected to be closed.
Texas
Advertisement
Texas
Ohio
The Ohio Revised Code states no one can get arrested on July 4th in Ohio, but this law is never enforced. If you commit a crime in Ohio on July 4th, you'll get arrested or fined. The law also states no one shall be arrested on Sunday.
Wyoming
Vermont
Advertisement
Kansas
Arizona
Donkeys haven't been allowed to sleep in Arizona bathtubs since about 1924. The law was enacted after a donkey, a bathtub and a local flood caused a bunch of problems for the community in the 1920s.
Oklahoma
Nebraska
Advertisement
Missouri
Almost every weird law in America that regards animals is put in place for the animals' safety, and this is another one. Bear wrestling is illegal in Missouri. It's also illegal to host bear wrestling tournaments or to train bears to wrestle.
Virginia
Minnesota
Oregon
Advertisement
Nevada
Delaware
You're not allowed to trim your pet cat or dog's hair and sell it if you live in Delaware. It's an animal cruelty prevention law. You can, however, sell the hair if you get your pet's hair trimmed at a licensed establishment.
Arkansas
Louisiana
Advertisement
Alabama
Georgia
Michigan
Wisconsin
Wisconsin takes its cheese seriously and is known as the cheese capital of America. In order for certain Wisconsin cheeses to be labeled as such, they have to be "highly pleasing." Wisconsin produces about 3 billion pounds of cheese a year.
Advertisement
Billings, Montana
Augusta, Maine
Montpelier, Vermont
Mobile, Alabama
Confetti is just a bunch of tiny pieces of plastic that don't disintegrate and sit around forever. Mobile, Alabama, has outlawed the party treat. It has also outlawed Silly String. Both products do nothing but cause a mess.
Advertisement
Michigan
West Virginia
Tennessee
Albino deer have white fur and pink eyes and noses. The rare mutations make them a prized trophy for some, but in Tennessee, it's illegal to hunt an albino deer. Anyone who is spotted hunting an albino deer should be reported to the local wildlife agency.
Kentucky
Advertisement
Florida
South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina still states no one under the age of 18 is allowed to play pinball in the state. The full law is explained in chapter 19 of the state's Juvenile Justice Code, but the law is never enforced.
Delaware
Advertisement
Los Angeles
New York City
New York City drivers face a $350 fine for honking their horn for no reason, and the NYPD does enforce the law. Very rarely is there a true reason to honk your car's horn. It should be used for emergencies.
Boston
Miami
Advertisement
New Jersey
Rhode Island
Massachusetts
In order to ensure Massachusetts has only the most trustworthy fortune tellers, anyone wanting to make money telling fortunes must obtain a license. No "pretended fortune telling" is allowed in the state.
Michigan
Advertisement
Massachusetts
New York
This seems like a law put in effect to keep humans safe, but it's also put in effect for animal safety. The law was created to apply to traveling zoos and circuses that allow people to take photographs with dangerous animals.
Florida
Kansas
Advertisement
Alaska
Alaska's Code of Ordinances says only animals tethered to the vehicle can ride in an open vehicle. If you're driving an open-back vehicle with 46-inch walls, you can also let your pet sit in the back. The law was put in place for safety reasons
Ohio
Hawaii
Texas
Advertisement
Montana
South Dakota
West Virginia
North Carolina
Bingo is one of the most popular games around the country, but bingo halls in North Carolina are only allowed to hold two five-hour sessions per week, and they can't be held within the same 48 hours. Not all bingo games have to follow these rules.
Advertisement
South Dakota
Oregon
Some cemeteries are so big you may be in the middle of one without even knowing it. This law was put in place after a hunter decided to harvest his kill right in the middle of the cemetery where he caught it.
West Virginia
Washington
Advertisement
Mississippi
Mississippi isn't the only state in the country with public decency laws like this. Unlike other states, this law requires at least two witnesses to be present at the time of the swearing. Violators can face 30 days in jail.
South Carolina
Kentucky
Illinois
Advertisement
Indiana
Pennsylvania
Louisiana
Louisiana eventually put this law in place to stop prank callers. If you order and pay for a surprise pizza, it's a nice gesture. If your order a bunch of pizzas to an unsuspecting person's home, it's a crime.
Iowa
Advertisement
Virginia
There comes a time in all of our lives when we're too old to go trick-or-treating, and in Virginia, that age is 12. States and cities all over the country have Halloween laws that help keep the holiday safe for everyone.
Minnesota
California
Nevada
Advertisement
Hawaii
Arkansas
A pinball machine in Arkansas is not allowed to pay out more than 25 free games of pinball. If you win a 26th free game, state law says you have to use a different machine. The pinball machines should be programmed to only pay out 25 free games.
Maine
Florida
Advertisement
Alaska
South Dakota
West Virginia
There are a few states around the country that enforce public decency laws like this. The fine for swearing in public in West Virginia is $1. Unfortunately, this law is never enforced, but it's one of the best in the country.
North Carolina
Advertisement
Nevada
Maryland
Many states around the country have some sort of law surrounding fortune telling. Fortune telling has been banned in Maryland for decades. Some towns have reversed the ban, and some groups are trying to lift the statewide ban altogether.
Utah
Colorado
Advertisement
Reno, Nevada
It's illegal to sit on the sidewalk in downtown Reno, Nevada. The law is an attempt to prevent vagrants from cluttering the downtown area. Cities across the country have put similar actions into effect.
Tucson, Arizona
Seattle, Washington
Dallas, Texas
Advertisement
Florida
California
Georgia
Georgia is home to plenty of waterways where people can easily park their boat and live. The problem is it causes pollution, and in an effort to keep the waterways clean in Georgia, people can only live on their boat for 30 days at a time.
Maine
Advertisement
New Jersey
Some people enjoy pumping their own gas, but self-service pumps have been banned in New Jersey since 1949. The ban came about after gas station owners lobbied for it. It helps keep gas stations safer and helps owners make more money.
New York
Georgia
North Carolina
Advertisement
Ohio
Texas
Minnesota
Minnesota's laws say drivers can't drive around with dirty tires that deposit mud, and dirty or sticky substances. The violation is a misdemeanor in the state and comes with a fine. Traffic laws across the country vary state by state.
Wisconsin
Advertisement
Illinois
Oklahoma
There are many eavesdropping laws across the country. If you secretly linger around a building in an attempt to overhear some juicy gossip and then use that gossip to harm another, you're guilty of a crime in Oklahoma.
Iowa
Massachusetts
Advertisement
Boise, Idaho
Billings, Montana
Huron, South Dakota
It's unlawful to cause static between these hours because static can interfere with radio and television broadcasts. You have to generate a lot of static for it to be significant. The static in your wool sweater isn't enough to cause a crime.
Augusta, Maine
Advertisement
Illinois
Idaho
Iowa
Indiana
A law in Indiana says "no horse shall be driven or ridden on any street in the city at a speed in excess of ten (10) miles per hour." Horses must also never be left unattended and must be kept under control at all times.
Advertisement
Rhode Island
The maximum penalty for racing or testing the speed of your horse on a Rhode Island highway is a $20 fine and 10 days in jail. The law has been on the books since the 19th century. Horses are allowed on the roads in America, but riding one on the highway is illegal everywhere.
Delaware
Florida
Connecticut
Advertisement
Oklahoma
Kansas
Nebraska
Montana
Montana law says it's unlawful to gift or raise a rat for any reason other than using it as prey for snakes or birds. Selling, raising or giving away rats is illegal in the state. Rats can be kept for research and educational purposes.
Advertisement
Kansas
Statewide law in Kansas prohibits drivers from screeching their tires while driving. The misdemeanor comes with a $500 fine and carries a maximum sentence of 30 days behind bars. The noise is considered a public disturbance.
Kentucky
Tennessee
Indiana
Advertisement
Massachusetts
You're not allowed to play a remix of the Star Spangled Banner at any public venue in Massachusetts. Doing so will result in a $100 fine. Senators and representatives across the country have proposed similar laws.
Hawaii
Alaska
New Mexico
Advertisement
You Got:
/35
