Odd Laws Still on the Books
The charity donation box, studded school buses and pet monitors: real Washington sections
Lists of strange state laws get passed around with no section number attached. Every one below has one, read from the Revised Code of Washington.
Who handles this in Washington: King County Bar Association, Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Washington directory.
| The law | What it says | Breaking it |
|---|---|---|
| The lawThe donation box | What it saysNo one may dump trash, garbage or litter in or around a charity's donation receptacle, and the charity must post a notice of the law on the box. | Breaking itMisdemeanor, a fine of not less than fifty dollars, and treble damages on a repeat |
| The lawStudded tires | What it saysNo tire may have studs or spikes beyond the rubber except as state rules allow, but school buses and fire department vehicles may use studded tires between November 1st and April 1st regardless. | Breaking itA traffic violation |
| The lawA pet monitor lizard | What it saysWater monitors and crocodile monitors are potentially dangerous wild animals, along with every primate and every crocodilian. | Breaking itSee the wild animal page |
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 Revised Code. Whether a particular act broke one of these sections is a question for a licensed Washington attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- RCW 9.91.130 — Disposal of trash in a charity donation receptacle
- RCW 46.37.420 — Tires; restrictions
- RCW 16.30.010 — Potentially dangerous wild animals; definitions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Washington attorney.