A while back I had so much fun discussing odd/weird/crazy Texas laws still on the books, and while I’ve tried to find the reasons behind these laws, so far I haven’t had much luck. However, I have come across more unusual laws still on the Texas books. Unable to resist a good laugh, (I mean can’t we all use one?) I’m sharing these new oddities with you.
- It’s illegal to own a set of Encyclopedia Britannica in Texas. Apparently, lawmakers were upset it contained a recipe for beer and didn’t want to deal with home breweries. If you have an old set around somewhere better hide it now!
- In LeFors, Texas, taking more than three drinks, sips, or swallows of beer while standing is illegal. But that makes me ask what about wine or mixed drinks? Is it okay to drink more of those standing?
- In Houston it’s illegal to sell Limburger cheese on Sunday. Apparently, other cheeses are okay because they’re not specified. This begs the question what do lawmakers have against Limburger cheese and why is it illegal only on Sundays?
- If you’re planning on committing a crime in Texas, you’re required by law to give your victim 24 hour written or verbal notice. It’s hard to believe someone possessed the nerve to stand in the state legislature and propose this law. Not only that, but the person suggested the law in hopes of reducing crime! (Because people wanting to commit a crime wouldn’t dream of breaking this law!) I’m laughing thinking of a burglar slipping a note in my mailbox. Planning on robbing you Tuesday night. Is that good for you or do I need to reschedule?
- Don’t eat your neighbor’s garbage…without permission. Major yuck factor with this one because well, garbage. If caught, this law will get you in trouble for trespassing and property theft. Who knew garbage was property? I thought it was fair game once it was put out, but I guess not.
- Flirting with the “eyes or hands” is illegal in San Antonio, for both men and women. Seriously. If police enforced this one, they could almost empty the Riverwalk daily. Now that would clog up the court system.
- In Texas your vehicle doesn’t need to have a windshield to be driven on the road. However, it does need to possess windshield wipers! I’m trying to imagine where those wipers could be affixed if there isn’t a windshield. Or maybe they don’t need to be attached but could be tossed in the back seat or in the glove box? Boggles the mind to think the person writing this one and the lawmakers who passed it didn’t see the irony.
Another ironic one that lawmakers didn’t think through is when two trains meet at a crossing, both must fully stop, and neither can move until the other has left the crossing. How could this miss this problem and realize it would make for looooong waits at train crossings?- In Dennison and Bristol you can land in jail for up to a year for showing your stockings. I’m laughing thinking of some poor old man being tossed in jail for wearing socks with his sandals. Or are socks considered in stockings? Good thing most of us women have given up wearing hose and stockings.
- Since Texas is a common state, if two willing, single, over 18 parties announce three times they’re married, bam, they are legally married. Wow, talk about lying having major and lasting consequences.
- In a holdover from the old west, when one rancher would cut another’s fence, it is illegal to carry wire cutters in your pocket.
I hope these laws gave you a chuckle. To be entered in my random drawing for the Cowboy Take Me Away T-shirt and signed copy of Cowboy in the Making leave a comment about what the craziest or silliest law you’ve heard about that is still on the books.
Julie Benson has written five novels for Harlequin American, and her Wishing, Texas series is available from Tule Publishing. Now that her three sons have left the nest in Dallas, when she isn't writing, Julie spends her time working on home improvement projects, rescuing dogs, and visiting Texas wineries with her husband. Visit her at www.juliebenson.net.
Are these laws still on the books? Very interesting.
Julie, good to hear from you this morning, and yup. All these laws are still on the books. It’s hard to believe, but true.
Thank you for sharing. They all gave us a chuckle. I would have to say this is the one that I would chose. “If you’re planning on committing a crime in Texas, you’re required by law to give your victim 24 hour written or verbal notice. It’s hard to believe someone possessed the nerve to stand in the state legislature and propose this law. Not only that, but the person suggested the law in hopes of reducing crime! (Because people wanting to commit a crime wouldn’t dream of breaking this law!) I’m laughing thinking of a burglar slipping a note in my mailbox. Planning on robbing you Tuesday night. Is that good for you or do I need to reschedule?” God bless you.
Debbie, it’s mind boggling to think the legislature actually thought people would do this. Or, that they’d stop and say, “Wait a minute. I’m breaking a before committing a crime. Now that’s the line too far. I’ll just forget the whole plan.” It’s also hard to believe the rest of the legislature went along with the proposed law.
Thanks for being here today. Take care and have a great rest of the week.
“Don’t eat your neighbor’s garbage…without permission.”
The yuck factor is over the top with this one. Thanks for being here today to chat with me. Have a great rest of the week.
So crazy.
I found these on a local lawyer’s website, so I assume they’re true.
If you live in Baltimore, MD, it’s illegal to take a lion to the movies.
Maryland laws:
If you are a woman married to a man, it is illegal to go through your husband’s pockets while he’s sleeping.
It is against the law for a Maryland man to buy a drink for a female bartender.
It is illegal to eat while swimming in the ocean.
If you pretend to tell the future in Caroline County, you could be stuck with six months in the can or a $100 fine.
In 2010 Governor O’Malley signed into law Maryland’s Right-to-Dry act. This allows renters to have clotheslines.
(My HOA forbids, as many do, clotheslines, unless you take them down on a daily basis.)
denise
Denise, thanks for the laugh today and for the heads up because the next time I was in Baltimore, I was planning on taking a lion to the movies! I could’ve been in big trouble. And I just returned from Florida. I’m so glad I wasn’t eating while swimming in the ocean because they might’ve had a similar law. But then we were technically in the Gulf of Mexico and is that considered the ocean? I’ll have to ponder that later because it’s too much thinking for my first day back from vacation. Thanks for being here. Take care.
Julie…You made me laugh with your comment about windshield wipers ‘Or maybe they don’t need to be attached but could be tossed in the back seat or in the glove box? ’ hahaha
Some humdingers in there…
Rachel, I laughed at that one too. Some people just don’t think something through well. That seemed to be a consistent theme with a lot of these silly laws. Thanks for stopping by to chat today. Have a fabulous rest of the week and take care.
I don’t have any but can’t believe the TEXAS ones considering I have carried wire cutters in my back pocket.
Carolyn, thank you for stopping by today. Thank goodness you didn’t do anything else like jay walking while you had those wire cutters in your pocket. That could’ve led to big trouble. Lol. Have a great rest of the week, and remember to leave the wire cutters at home when you go out.
Oh Julie, you got me checking out some of our weird Florida laws. Amazing!
When in Florida, it’s illegal to imitate an animal.
It’s against the law to eat any cottage cheese after 6 PM on Sundays in Tampa Bay.
Stealing a horse is illegal, and you risk death by hanging.
It’s illegal in Florida to sing in public if you’re wearing a swimming suit.
Unmarried woman may not parachute on Sundays. If you do, you can potentially face fines, arrest, and jail time.
To ride a skateboard in Florida, you must have a license, just like operating a car.
In Key West, Florida, chickens are considered a protected species.
The law prohibits having sexual relations with a porcupine. What?????
Standard parking fees apply to any elephants tied to parking meters in Sarasota.
In Miami, selling oranges on the street is illegal.
Men cannot wear strapless dresses in public. However, the law does not regulate other types of dresses.
An old law once prevented doctors from asking patients if they owned a gun. Has since been repealed.
Florida’s state constitution prohibits confining pregnant pigs to cages.
Pinecrest, Florida, requires residents to get a permit to operate their burglar alarms.
You will be charged for public nuisance if your flower pot doesn’t have a drain.
People should not fart after 6 p.m. in public.
It’s illegal to exchange gossip of any way, shape, or form in Oakland, Florida
I just returned last night from a vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. Thank goodness I didn’t break any of these laws. Well, except for the passing gas in public after 6 pm. I may have unknowingly broken that law. 🙂 But if I ever visit Sarasota now I’ll be prepared and know that when I tie my elephant to a parking meter, I have to feed the meter as well. Thanks for stopping by today and making me laugh. Have a super rest of the week.
In North Carolina it is illegal to serve alcohol at a bingo game or to plow a cotton field with an elephant.
Janice, oh man. Rats. I was thinking about buying some land in North Carolina and using my elephant to plow it so I could plant cotton. Now I’ll have to come up with a new business venture. 🙂 And I’m wondering what the deal is with elephants. The comment above mentioned Sarasota making a law regarding elephants and parking meters.
In Kansas its illegal to catch a fish with your bare hands.
In Georgia its illegal to eat chicken any other way than with your hands.
Its illegal to pump your own gas in Oregon.
Catching fish with your hands is called noodling. It’s legal in many Southern states and primarily used for catfishing.
It’s illegal to pump your gas in New Jersey, too.
Interesting. Most gas places here are self serve.
Denise, I’d never have guessed there was a word for catching fish with your hands. Y’all are always teaching me something. I wonder why so many southern states have a problem with noodling.
Cathy, those are some funny ones. Why would a legislature be worried enough about how people eat chicken to create a law? And is it every type of chicken because I can’t see me ordering a grilled chicken breast and having to eat it with my hands. Also, why does the Kansas legislature care if people catch fish with their hands? Did a lawmaker have a sporting goods store? Why would catching fish with your hands be a problem? No wonder our lawmakers rarely get anything significant done if this is what they worry about. Thanks for stopping by. Take care and have a great rest of the week.
I think these are amazing. I wish I could have been there when they were passed.
Debra, I’d like to have been there to hear the reasoning for them. It also would’ve been fun to be there and say, really? You think this will help or point out problems like requiring windshield wipers but not windshields on cars to the individuals who proposed some of these laws.
Thanks for stopping by today. Have a fantastic rest of the week.
I can’t beat any of these already posted but I sure enjoyed reading them!
Rhonda, some of these laws are pretty hard to top for ridiculous. Thanks for stopping by to say hello. I’m glad the post made you smile. Take care.
Oh my! Julie, Thank you for sharing!
Caryl, I had a good laugh when I found these and again when I shared them with my barista friends at Starbucks while writing this post. I’m glad they made you smile, too. Thanks for stopping by to chat. Have a fabulous rest of the week.
In North Carolina, You Cannot Legally Host an Organized Meeting Wearing a Mask, and By Law, You Must Pay Taxes on the Illicit Drugs You Deal.
Connie, I wonder how many North Carolinians broke this one during the worst of COVID? Again, this is an example of a law that wasn’t quite thought through because I’m sure they meant a Halloween type mask and not a medical/COVID one. The second law is a hoot because I’m sure someone who sells illegal drugs wouldn’t dream of breaking the tax laws. Thanks for dropping by and sharing those two winners with us.
Oh those are some doozies! I used to have a fun book that had all crazy outdated laws in it, but I can’t find it now. I remember it always made me laugh!
Susan, it’s amazing how ridiculous our lawmakers can be and what they get concerned over. At least these are good for a laugh. It’s wild to think that there are enough silly laws still active that someone could write a book. Thanks for stopping by today to chat. Have a great week.
In Kentucky, a woman can only marry the same man three times. In London, Kentucky, it is illegal to engage in sexual activities on a parked motorcycle. You cannot legally carry ice cream in your pocket if you’re in Lexington.
Okay, first, who would be foolish enough to want to marry the same man 4 times? Would someone really think that a marriage would turn out differently the fourth time around? My best friend lives in Lexington. I’ll have to text her to warn her about the ice cream in your pocket law. I wouldn’t want her getting in trouble for that one. Again, I’m wondering what made a lawyer so worried about someone carrying ice cream in his pocket that he proposed a law? But what’s even stranger is the rest of the legislature agreed that this was a needed law. Thanks for being here. Take care.
Biting someone’s arm off is illegal in Rhode Island.
It’s illegal to use X-rays for shoe fittings in Wisconsin.
It’s illegal to throw rocks at trains in Wisconsin.
It’s illegal for bingo games to last more than five hours in North Carolina.
Abby, those are some really good ones! But boy are people ruthless when they’re mad in Rhode Island. Really? They had problems with people biting someone else’s arm off? Big yuck factor there. The bingo games in North Carolina must’ve been wild if the legislature had to make a law to ensure they weren’t longer than 5 hours. Talk about hard core bingo players. Guess they could go all day or all night. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by to share these doozies. Take care and have a terrific week.
Oh, wow!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I needed a good laugh, and I laughed all through this!!
Trudy, I’m so glad the post made you laugh and brightened your day. I hope the rest of your week is fantastic.
Wow, those are some sill crazy laws in my home State of Texas! Thank you for sharing them. Here are a couple I found: In Fairbanks, Alaska, it is illegal to serve alcohol to a moose. In Glendale, Arizona, it is illegal to drive a car in reverse, so virtually everyone in a mall parking lot is breaking the law. Have a great day and stay safe. Thank you for the chuckle.
Alicia, thank you for stopping by and for making me laugh. I guess Alaska must’ve had a problem with people getting the moose drunk. And the parking one…that’s another example of a law the author didn’t think through. But think of how money Glendale could make during the holiday season! Have a great rest of the week.
Wow when hubs heads out to work on fence the wire cutters are always in his back pocket!
Teresa, hopefully as long as he doesn’t use them on anyone else’s fence he’ll be okay, but you’d beat warm him just to be safe! Take care, thanks for stopping by today, and have a great week.
It is amazing how some places still leave odd things like that in law…
Colleen, I’m also amazed that some of these outdated laws never get taken off the books. Thanks for being here today.
Interesting as well as entertaining.
Pearl, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post. Have a great rest of the week.
Amazing what laws were either ignored and laughed at or originally followed.
Ellie, I know. Sometimes I read these, shook my head, and wondered what they were thinking. Thanks for being here today.
Since I live in Missouri, I decided to look up weird Missouri laws. There were some doozies… here are a few I thought were funny!
• It is not exactly illegal to speed. (Though you will definitely still get a ticket if you do)
• You need a permit to shave while driving.
• In Columbia – Though clotheslines are banned, clothes may be draped over a fence.
• In Kansas City – Installation of bathtubs with four legs resembling animal paws is prohibited.
• Frightening a baby is in violation of the law.
• In Purdy – Dancing is strictly prohibited.
• 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.
• In St. Louis – A milk man may not run while on duty.
• Four women may not rent an apartment together.
• In University City – No person may have a “yard sale” in their front yard.
Sooo… You can speed, just don’t get caught! Who knew that it wasn’t tacky to just drape your wet clothes over a fence instead of neatly pinning them on a clothesline! Better not play peek-a-boo with your baby! “Excuse me, sir. I know the building is about to burn to the ground with us inside, but could you turn your back while I change out of this nightgown? Don’t wanna get you in trouble!” No yard sale in the front yard???! 😀 😀 😀
Thank you so much for the laugh! It’s good to know Texas isn’t the only state with these kinds of laws on the books. Thank you for stopping by today and for giving me a huge laugh. Take care and have a great rest of the week.
I have to assume these politicians of our era are too busy thinking up crazy things to make into law to go back and read and rescind some this ludicrous stuff on the books yet today. What a mess!
Judy, I think you hit the issue right on the head. Either that or they’re too busy fighting. Thank you for being here today. I hope the remainder of your week is wonderful.
Sorry I missed this one. We got home, from Texas, late last night. It would have been helpful to have known these laws before visiting. Not that we would have broken any of them, but at the reunion, there were a lot of individuals standing around drinking a beer or glass of wine. We were in San Antonio and yes, there was a lot of flirting going on along the Riverwalk.
Thanks for an interesting post.
I literally laughed out loud. 😀 As a Texas native I had no idea this was law. LOL. great post.