Odd Laws Still on the Books
A $20 cockfight, a hog dog catch and trash with a name on it: real Alabama sections
Lists of strange state laws get passed around with no section number attached. Every one below has one, read from the Code of Alabama.
Who handles this in Alabama: Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Alabama directory.
| The law | What it says | Breaking it |
|---|---|---|
| The lawA cockfight | What it saysKeeping a cockpit or fighting cocks in a public place is an offense. | Breaking it$20 to $50 |
| The lawA hog dog catch | What it saysPutting on, funding, supplying or buying a ticket to a fight between dogs and hogs, called a catch, is a crime. Hunting hogs with dogs is not. | Breaking itClass A misdemeanor, then a Class C felony |
| The lawTrash with a name on it | What it saysBills or bank statements bearing a person's name in dumped trash are presumed to mean that person dumped it. | Breaking itSee the littering page |
| The lawA crop on the road | What it saysAn agricultural product that falls on a road by accident, in its natural state, is not litter under any law. | Breaking itNothing |
Many laws that sound strange are city or county ordinances rather than state law; this page covers only the Code. Whether a particular act broke one of these sections is a question for a licensed Alabama attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- Ala. Code § 13A-12-4 — Keeping Cockpit; Cockfighting
- Ala. Code § 13A-12-6 — Hog and Canine Fighting
- Ala. Code § 13A-7-29 — Criminal Littering
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Alabama attorney.