WEIRD LAWS BY STATE

Missouri

Bear wrestling

No one may wrestle a bear, allow or stage bear wrestling, advertise it, charge admission to it, train a bear for it, or buy, sell or keep a bear knowing it will be used for it.

Breaking it: Class A misdemeanor

Texas

Selling an eye

Nobody may buy or sell a human organ for money, and the list names the kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, eye, bone and skin. Hair and blood are not on it.

Breaking it: State jail felony

Kentucky

Snakes in church

Displaying, handling or using any kind of reptile in connection with a religious service or gathering is an offense.

Breaking it: $50 to $100

Wisconsin

Margarine at a restaurant

A public eating place may not serve colored margarine in place of table butter unless the customer orders it, and state institutions may not serve it to students, patients or inmates in place of butter without a doctor's direction.

Breaking it: A fine of $100 to $500, up to 3 months, or both

Rhode Island

Swearing

Profane swearing and cursing is an offense.

Breaking it: A fine of up to $5

Idaho

Cannibalism

Willfully eating human flesh or blood is cannibalism. Doing it under extreme life threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival is a defense.

Breaking it: Up to 14 years in the state prison

Alabama

A $20 cockfight, a hog dog catch and trash with a name on it.

• A cockfight
• A hog dog catch
• Trash with a name on it
• A crop on the road

Alaska

Hunting the same day as flying, pull tab cans and six pack rings.

• Hunting the same day as flying
• Pull tab cans
• Six pack rings

Arizona

Stealing a cactus, tattooing out of a tent, and dumping dirt.

• Stealing a cactus
• Clearing your own land
• A tattoo in a tent
• Dumping dirt

California

A frog that loses its jumping contest, the Paul Buzzo Act and pet snails.

• A frog jumping contest
• The Paul Buzzo Act
• A pet snail
• A soldier's tobacco age

Colorado

Riding a horse on the left, no sledding on the highway and leaving food for a bear.

• A horse on the highway
• Skis and sleds
• Feeding a bear
• A dog after wildlife
• Black bears

Connecticut

A registered cat breed, honking at a horse and the full traffic fines on horseback.

• A registered cat breed
• Honking at a horse
• A ticket on horseback

Delaware

Tongue splitting, venomous snakes and the ear exception.

• Tongue splitting
• A venomous snake
• The ear exception

Florida

Milk crates, masks and balloons.

• The milk crate
• A mask on the street
• Balloons
• Blocking the road

Hawaii

Four sterile snakes for training dogs, no billboards and used bee gear.

• Snakes for dog training
• Billboards
• Used bee gear

Idaho

Cannibalism, a reward for reporting a litterbug and the earlobe exception.

• Cannibalism
• Reporting a litterbug
• The earlobe exception

Illinois

A felony for a third littering, a required warning for tongue piercing and a cashier under 16.

• Littering as a felony
• A warning in the consent form
• A cashier under 16
• Teens tattooing teens

Iowa

An old fridge in the yard, an unlicensed X ray and putting a person on exhibit.

• An old refrigerator
• An X ray
• Putting a person on exhibit

Kansas

Standing at a cockfight without knowing it, and a pet after a cruelty conviction.

• Being at a cockfight
• Spurs and gaffs
• A pet after a conviction
• Litter pickup

Kentucky

Snakes in church, a challenge to a duel and the slow vehicle emblem.

• Snakes in church
• A duel
• Reflective tape

Louisiana

Masks outside Mardi Gras, gold teeth for teens and a banded pigeon.

• A mask in public
• Gold teeth
• A venomous pet
• A banded pigeon
• Feeding a bear

Maine

Balloon releases, an abandoned ice fishing shack and a stolen gravestone.

• Balloons
• An ice fishing shack
• A gravestone
• A flashing light by the road
• Cruelty on film

Maryland

No pet chicks, a $25 fine, and horses on the highway in three counties.

• Chicks as pets
• Horses on the highway
• No pet raccoon
• Ground glass

Massachusetts

Goldfish prizes, ferrets near birds and a 20 yard litter line.

• A live animal as a prize
• A ferret near the birds
• The 20 yard line
• No tanning before 18

Michigan

Adultery, studded tires and the orange triangle.

• Adultery
• Studded tires
• The orange triangle
• A pet bear

Minnesota

Studded tires for the mail carrier, a black triangle and litter on the ice.

• Studded tires
• The black triangle
• Litter on the ice
• The ceremony exception

Missouri

Bear wrestling, Sunday car sales and a raised truck.

• Bear wrestling
• Sunday car sales
• A raised truck
• A pet coyote

Montana

Taking home roadkill, a $10 hunter orange fine and the rodeo exception.

• Roadkill
• Hunter orange
• Animal fights and rodeos

Nebraska

A pet skunk, an eyeball tattoo and bullfrogs by flashlight.

• A pet skunk
• An eyeball tattoo
• Bullfrogs
• Bearbaiting

Nevada

The cow on the open range has the right of way in court.

• Hitting a cow on the open range
• Inside the fence
• Cleaning up your own dump

New Jersey

Decals for new drivers, spray tans at 14, and a $200 cigarette.

• The new driver decals
• A cigarette out the window
• Spray tans at 14
• A pet released

New York

Fortune telling, junior licenses in the city, and a monkey for one kind of owner.

• Fortune telling
• A junior license in the city
• The one lawful pet monkey
• Children in a bar

North Carolina

Masks with a holiday exception, and a venomous snake label.

• Masks in public
• The snake label
• No tattoo, even with a parent

North Dakota

No pet skunk, keeping roadkill and a tattoo kit for a teen.

• A pet skunk or raccoon
• Roadkill
• A tattoo kit

Ohio

Dyed chicks, carrier pigeons, horse tails and studded tires.

• Dyed chicks and bunnies
• Carrier pigeons
• Live targets
• A horse's tail
• Not near the street
• Rodeo gear
• Studded tires
• The Block Parent sign
• A lion in the yard

Oregon

Pumping your own gas, the motorcycle exception and the latch on the nozzle.

• Pumping your own gas
• Self service only while staffed
• Rural counties
• Motorcycles
• The latch on the nozzle

Pennsylvania

Digging through a trash can, a soldier's tobacco age and no horses on a limited access highway.

• Digging through a trash can
• A soldier's tobacco age
• Horses on the highway

Rhode Island

Dueling, a $5 fine for swearing and a tattoo only for medicine.

• A duel
• Swearing
• A teenager's tattoo

South Carolina

Dueling, working on Sunday and a face tattoo.

• A duel
• Sunday work
• A face tattoo

South Dakota

Coyotes from an airplane, a reward for reporting litter and the rest area barrel.

• Coyotes from an airplane
• A reward for reporting litter
• The rest area barrel

Texas

Selling an eye, a coyote as a pet, and a $50 dumping reward.

• Selling an eye
• A reward for a tip
• The cover up tattoo
• A pet coyote

Utah

Clove cigarettes, the wrong thing in a recycling bin and a DUI on horseback.

• Clove cigarettes
• The recycling bin
• A DUI on horseback

Vermont

Dumped trash that names its owner, the snowmobile rule and a 12 year old's drinking ticket.

• Trash that names its owner
• Litter from a snowmobile
• Twelve and under twenty one
• A teenage tattooist
• No pet wild boar

Virginia

Adultery, baby chicks by the half dozen, and the orange triangle.

• Adultery
• Baby chicks
• Puppies and kittens
• The orange triangle

Washington

The charity donation box, studded school buses and pet monitors.

• The donation box
• Studded tires
• A pet monitor lizard

West Virginia

Taking home roadkill, shed antlers and an eyeball tattoo.

• Roadkill
• Shed antlers
• An eyeball tattoo

Wisconsin

Margarine only on request, a crashed plane in the lake, and a triangle on the mailbox.

• Margarine at a restaurant
• A crashed plane in the lake
• A triangle on the mailbox
• Studded tires
• Dognapping

Wyoming

Burying a dead animal, hunting in pink and a license to tame a furbearer.

• A dead animal
• Hunting in pink
• Taming a furbearer