In the Alabama Criminal Code, there is one section that is sure to raise a couple of questions. Questions like, “Can a law be that specific?” and “Huh, are dominoes dangerous when mixed with billards outside of carefully controlled environments?” I speak, of course, of section 34-6-12 which goes as follows: “In counties having populations [...]

In Missouri, the law is quite clear – you can have yellow butter or white margarine, but yellow margarine is just not welcome. Today the idea seems quite insane, but when the law was originally created, around 1895, it was actually pretty common. Missouri law makers were trying to protect the products of state dairy [...]

Who knew the fine people of Wells, Maine were so particular about their graveyards? Wells has a law that states “Advertisements May not be placed in Cemeteries”  100-4 PROHIBITED ACTS (amended 11-2-93).  Here is the full ext of the law: A.  The following acts are violations of this chapter: (1) [Amended 4-7-2001] The willful disfigurement, [...]

Some laws are just laws.  Don’t kill people.  Don’t steal cars.  Or police cars.  Don’t deface property.  Don’t not pay your taxes.  But, with the Halloween season fast approaching, I thought it would be fun to find some laws that are specifically related to Halloween. Some are kind of boring, like in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware [...]

Just in case you were planning one, it is illegal to cause a catastrophe in Utah.  Just in case you don’t believe me, here is the full text of the law, courtesy of dumblaws.com. 76-6-105 Causing a catastrophe.  (1) Any person who by explosion, fire, flood, avalanche, collapse of a building, release of a poison [...]

Washington State Legislature has this whole chapter (Chapter 72.20) about Maple Lane School.  The law that brought me to research this Washington piece of legislature and the Maple Lane School for Girls, is section 72.20.065, which states: “Any person who shall go upon the school grounds except on lawful business, or by consent of the [...]

Thanks to Dumb Laws, here is the full text of the law: “33-18-105.  Purchase from intoxicated persons. No person, firm or corporation engaged in the buying or selling of junk metals, rubber, rags or paper, shall purchase any articles from any person appearing to be intoxicated, nor from any person known to be a thief, [...]

Minnesota is pretty strict on its vagrancy laws.  The full text of law 609.725 states: “Any of the following are vagrants and are guilty of a misdemeanor:  1) A person, with ability to work, who is without lawful means of support, does not seek employment, and is not under 18 years of age; or 2) [...]

OK.  I know I’ve said it before.  But I love weird laws.  I love stupid laws even more.  Check this one out – here’s the full text of the law: “45-5-627.  Ritual abuse of minor – exceptions – penalty.  1)  A person commits the offense of ritual abuse of a minor if the person purposely [...]

Wedded bliss.  Some achieve it, some don’t.  We hear a lot about what you should do when you’re planning a wedding – from centerpiece ideas to prenuptial agreements – but we don’t hear much about the weird marriage-related laws that nobody bothered to repeal.  In this case, there is a reason nobody repealed it – [...]