10 of America’s Weirdest Laws

Check out some of the funniest and most bizarre laws still on the books in the United States.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on March 21 2010

Your little girl plays so well with that sweet boy from next door. Don’t you wish you could steer her clear of all those sleazy guys she’ll meet in high school, and just marry her off right now?

Well, if you live in Arkansas, you had your chance a few years ago. Thanks to a typo in a law passed in 2007, the state government’s opened the door for children of any age to enter the state of holy matrimony (with parental permission, of course). The bill passed without a proofread, and stayed on the books for over a year before a correction was finally made.

Have no fear, Arkansonians: The rest of us have our own bizarre rules, too. Here’s a small sampling of America’s oddest laws.

1. Well, okay, Arkansas – you’re not off the hook yet. Apparently, it’s illegal to pronounce your name incorrectly (so for those passing through the state who’d like to avoid jail time, it’s ar-kan-SAW, just in case you didn’t know).
2. Don’t like it when your son jumps over puddles? If you’re in California, just try to stop him – you could end up with a fine for your spoilsport ways.
3.They like their dogs dumb in Hartford, Connecticut: It’s illegal to educate your four-legged friend.
4.In Saratoga, Florida, it’s against the law to sing while wearing a bathing suit (we suppose doing it naked is just fine, though).
5.A certain filthy phrase is illegal in Jonesboro, Georgia: “Oh, boy!” (Hope we didn’t get any Jonesboreans in trouble just now.)
6.In Idaho, it’s against the law for a man to give a woman a box of chocolate that weighs less than 50 pounds. So if you want to celebrate Valentine’s Day right, that’s the place to be.
7.It’s illegal to speak English in Illinois. Um, pardonnez-moi?
8.Cleanliness is next to godliness in Kentucky, where it’s on the books that everyone must bathe at least once a year.
9.In Massachusetts, Christmas was banned in 1659. Did anyone remember to tell Santa?
10.And possibly the best law of all is from Texas, where they’re counting on their criminals to be prepared and polite: All criminals in the state are required to give their victims 24 hours notice either orally or in writing, explaining the nature of the crime they plan to commit. A post-crime thank you card is optional.

Filed under: Features, General Interest, History, Weird,

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