Odd Laws Still on the Books
Balloon releases, an abandoned ice fishing shack and a stolen gravestone: real Maine sections
Lists of strange state laws get passed around with no section number attached. Every one below has one, read from the Maine Revised Statutes.
Who handles this in Maine: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
| The law | What it says | Breaking it |
|---|---|---|
| The lawBalloons | What it saysIntentionally releasing 16 or more balloons at one time is littering. | Breaking it$100 to $500, more over 24 balloons |
| The lawAn ice fishing shack | What it saysAn ice fishing shack left on someone else's land without permission is litter. | Breaking itSee the littering page |
| The lawA gravestone | What it saysKeeping or selling a gravestone, monument or marker, or a piece of one, known to have been taken illegally from a cemetery is a crime. | Breaking itClass C, and triple damages |
| The lawA flashing light by the road | What it saysNo one may keep a light near a highway that blinds drivers, or one that imitates a school bus, police, fire or highway vehicle's flashing lights. | Breaking itUp to $100 |
| The lawCruelty on film | What it saysMaking a film or video that involves cruelty to animals is a crime. | Breaking itClass E |
Many laws that sound strange are town ordinances rather than state law; this page covers only the Revised Statutes. Whether a particular act broke one of these sections is a question for a licensed Maine attorney.
Sources for this section (5)
- 17 M.R.S. § 2264-A — Penalties
- 17-A M.R.S. § 507-B — Illegal possession or sale of gravestones
- 17 M.R.S. § 2263 — Definitions
- 17 M.R.S. § 2793 — Certain lights prohibited along highways
- 17 M.R.S. § 1013 — Unlawful production of motion pictures
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.