The 11 Strangest Laws Still On The Books In States Across America

America has existed for close to 250 years, and the country has obviously evolved a bit since the Declaration of Independence was signed. However, there are still some incredibly outdated laws that have remained on the books in states around the country.

Lawmakers across the United States are constantly updating the rules and regulations people are required to abide by, but it’s easy for a statute that made sense when it was enacted to eventually become a relic that no longer has any real reason to exist.

The internet is filled with examples of outdated laws that are supposedly still enforceable in the United States, but based on the research I did while writing this, the vast majority of them can be chalked up to urban legends and blatant falsehoods that don’t stand up to any scrutiny after just a little bit of research.

However, that is not the case with the ones I can confirm are still very much A Thing.

It's Illegal To Throw Snowballs In Aspen, Colorado

Aspen is one of the most expensive ski towns in the United States, and there’s plenty of snow to be found in the enclaves in the Rocky Mountains during the coldest months of the year.

However, if you pack any of it up into a ball and throw it at a target, you’ll be violating  Sec. 15.04.210 of the local law that states it’s illegal to chuck a snowball at “any vehicle, building or other public or private property or upon or at any person or in any public way or place which is public in nature.”

You Can't Share Your Netflix Password In Tennessee

A number of major streaming services have cracked down on subscribers who don’t have a problem sharing their password with other people after realizing how much revenue they were missing out on.

However, Tennessee was fairly ahead of the curve on that front, as it passed a law banning the distribution of login information to any subscription-based service in 2011; you can be charged with a misdemeanor if the damages are $500 or less, but it can be a felony if it exceeds that total.

You're Not Allowed To Harm Bigfoot In One County In Washington State

Cryptozoologists have spent decades attempting to affirm the existence of the hairy humanoid commonly referred to as Bigfoot or Sasquatch, but as things currently stand, there’s no concrete evidence to prove its existence.

However, if you do happen to encounter one in Skamania County in Washington, you want to make sure you don’t hurt it in any way if you don’t want to risk spending up to a year in jail or forking over a $1,000 fine.

The law in question was enacted in 1969 as a publicity stunt to attract more visitors to the area, and it’s remained on the books ever since.

Bear Wrestling Is Illegal In Oklahoma

Most people don’t need a law to dissuade them from trying to wrestle a bear, but there’s one in Oklahoma that’s specifically designed to prevent you from doing so.

The statute in question doesn’t prevent you from making the ill-advised decision to grapple with a wild animal but rather addresses the type of “bear wrestling exhibition” that served as a popular traveling sideshow across the United States for a solid chunk of time in the 20th century.

Violators can be hit with a $2,000 fine and serve up to a year in jail.

You Can't Eat Fried Chicken With A Fork In Gainesville, Georgia

This is another law that stems from a publicity stunt but has not been repealed, as Gainesville, the Georgia city known as “The Poultry Capital of the World,” passed a measure in 1961 that prohibited the use of utensils while chowing down on fried chicken to preserve the sanctity of getting hands-on with your meal.

It’s not really enforced, although a 91-year-old woman was jokingly arrested for “improper poultry consumption” in 2009 for using a fork at a cafe before the mayor pardoned her.

Under The Age Of 18? You Can't Play Pinball In South Carolina

South Carolina is still governed by a largely archaic “Children’s Code” that was designed to protect younger members of the state’s population.

Pinball machines were apparently viewed as a potential source of corruption at one point, as it’s still illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to play one.

Lawmakers did attempt to repeal the statute in 2024, but the proposal never made it through the legislature.

You're Prohibited From Being Drunk On A Train In Michigan

One of the best parts of taking a train is that you don’t have to do anything in order to get to your destination, and plenty of people will opt to unwind with a drink (or a few) after opting for that method of transportation.

However, you need to exercise some moderation if you’re riding one in Michigan due to the law that say “No person shall while in an offensive state of intoxication enter or be on or remain upon any railway train or interurban car as a passenger.”

The same statute also gives the conductor the authority to arrest and detain you until you can be handed over to the police, so make sure to be on your best behavior in the Wolverine State.

You Aren't Allowed To Keep A Couch Outside In Boulder. Colorado

Boulder is a college town that’s home to the University of Colorado, and there are plenty of ways students who reside there can land in legal trouble.

As of 2002, that includes keeping a couch or any other type of “upholstered furniture not manufactured for outdoor use” on a porch or in a yard outside a residence due to a number of instances where they ended up at the center of impromptu bonfires.

Violators can be hit with a $1,000 fine and forced to serve up to 90 days in jail.

You Can't Use Bad Words In Public Rockville, Maryland

Rockville, Maryland is home to close to 70,000 residents, and you’re inevitably going to be dealing with some pottymouths if you have that many people living in the same place.

However, you need to be on your best behavior when you’re in public there, as you “may not profanely curse and swear or use obscene language upon or near any street, sidewalk or highway within the hearing of persons passing by” if you don’t want to be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Remixes Of 'The Star-Spangled Banner' Are Outlawed In Massachusetts

Massachusetts was instrumental in the birth of the United States as we know it thanks to the role it played in the American Revolution, and it still takes patriotism fairly seriously.

Just how seriously? Well, Section 9 of Part IV, Title I, Chapter 264 of the general code requires any performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to be a “whole and separate composition” while threatening to hit anyone who harnsses it for “dance music, as an exit march or as a part of a medley of any kind” with a $100 fine.

You Can Get A Ticket For Parking In Front Of A Dunkin' In One Town In Maine

The chain that was originally dubbed “Dunkin’ Donuts” when the first store opened in Massachusetts in 1950 has thousands of locations across the United States, but the brand has amassed a particularly fervent following in New England.

There’s one drive-thru location situated on Main Street in South Berwick, Maine, and it’s popular to the point where the town enacted an ordinance that prohibits anyone from parking within 25 feet of the entrance to reduce congestion on the main drag.