Odd Laws Still on the Books
Masks with a holiday exception, and a venomous snake label: real North Carolina sections
Lists of strange state laws get passed around with no section number attached. Every one below has one, read from the General Statutes.
Who handles this in North Carolina: North Carolina Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the North Carolina directory.
| The law | What it says |
|---|---|
| The lawMasks in public | What it saysNo one may appear on public property in a mask, hood or device that disguises them so as to hide their identity. The exceptions include traditional holiday costumes in season, theatrical productions, Mardi Gras and masquerade balls, gas masks in drills, work safety masks, and medical masks against contagious disease, which come off when an officer asks. |
| The lawThe snake label | What it saysA venomous reptile's enclosure must say Venomous Reptile Inside, with the antivenin named on it. |
| The lawNo tattoo, even with a parent | What it saysTattooing anyone under 18 is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and no parental consent changes that. |
Many laws that sound strange are city or county ordinances rather than state law, and those differ from place to place; this page covers only the General Statutes. Whether a particular act broke one of these sections is a question for a licensed North Carolina attorney.
Sources for this section (4)
- G.S. 14-12.8 — Wearing of masks, hoods and the like on public property
- G.S. 14-417 — Regulation of ownership or use of venomous reptiles
- G.S. 14-400 — Tattooing; body piercing prohibited
- G.S. 14-12.11 — Exemptions from the mask provisions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed North Carolina attorney.