Did you ever stop and think that laws are made for people to follow, but most of us haven’t actually read them? What is more, there is a whole profession dedicated to explaining laws and in order to become a lawyer, a judge, or a specialist in that field, you have to study it for several years. So it’s no wonder that there are laws in our home country law systems that would surprise us.
Maybe Reddit user Krallorddark had a similar thought, because they asked, “What is illegal but most people don’t even know it?” In less than 24 hours, the thread got over 50k upvotes and over 20k comments. People shared some really weird laws and some laws that actually make sense, but somehow people don’t know about them.
What would you answer to Krallorddark’s question? Leave it in the comments and don’t forget to upvote the laws shared by people that surprised you the most!
More info: Reddit
In Nevada there’s an old law still on the books where a property owner may hang an individual who shoots a dog on their property.
Also you can’t take your camel out on state highways.
In my country suicide is considered a felony.
Its to allow first responders more ways to act. Like so a policeofficer can kick down a door or hospitals can force a short period of observation on a sucidal person, never any jailtime involved.
Under a 1940s anti-poaching law, not only is possessing or selling a bald eagle illegal … possessing any part of a bald eagle, including their feathers, is illegal.
Find a bald eagle feather while hiking? Technically, picking that thing up and sticking it in your pocket means a $250,000 fine.
Edit: As has been pointed out to me repeatedly, if you belong to a native American tribe that is enrolled in a federal program that exempts you from the above.
One of my friends studied abroad in the UK (from the US) and didn’t realize pepper spray is illegal there until a British student told her. Most female students at our university in the US carry it everywhere so it didn’t even occur to her it would be illegal. No clue how she got through the airport with it in the first place but luckily she was able to dispose of it without getting in trouble
Scottish here, it’s a legal requirement to let a stranger use your toilet if he or she asks.
So if some random drunk comes to your door at stupid o’clock in the morning choking for a s***e, you better be letting them in
Walking down the street with an ice cream cone in your back pocket in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Apparently, there was a law that if a horse was on your property, you could claim it as your own. In comes the ice cream cone as a lure for the horse as you lead them to your property…..
In a few states in the US there are laws on the books barring atheists from holding public office.
Granted these fit into the “exist but don’t really get enforced” category, but they exist nonetheless.
In Florida its illegal to tie an alligator to a parking meter unless you pay for parking
Edit- Apparently it was passed for elephants because of discrimination against circus workers according to u/Carrotcake1988 and u/DaveTheNotecard
Driving consistently slower than the speed limit, without legitimate reason to do so (like road conditions or a vehicle problem). In fact, in some states, it is more points on your license than speeding.
The Salmon Act 1986 is an act of Parliament which outlines the difference between legal and illegal salmon fishery, among other things. The Act also makes it illegal to “handle salmon in suspicious circumstances”
Carrying a permanent marker or other permanent-staining stationary is illegal in many countries under graffiti laws.
Just because you have your turn signals on dosen’t mean that the you have the right to merge. If the lane isn’t clear you are the one breaking the law.
Stepping into a public fountain. Yes, Joey, Chandler, Ross, Pheobe, Rachel and Monica, I’m talking to you. Guess I’ll be there for you … in jail.
License plate covers. I saw one yesterday that was tinted and you literally couldn’t read the plate even in broad daylight. But even clear ones are illegal (in Ohio anyway)
In the US giving any federal employee, especially postal workers, any gift in an amount over $20 each and no greater than $50 in a year. I believe the government wanted to try to ban any gifts, but people were so attached to their postal workers and wanted to give them something so they did relent, with those strict guidelines above.
You can give a friend or family member a lift for free, but if they have paid you, even fuel costs, then you are now an unlicensed taxi.
Importing Kinder Surprise eggs to the US from your trip abroad. You won’t go to jail, but if you are unlucky and the customs agent is not very lenient you can face a fine for every egg you tried to smuggle in.
According to some sources the fine per egg could go up to $2500, but I couldn’t find a case where someone was actually fined that much. The most I could find in my 5 minute research was a Canadian woman who got fined $300 (Canadian) for trying to bring in one egg. I guess in most cases the customs agents will just confiscate the eggs and give you a warning.
The failure to spend 2 hours a week practicing with a longbow.
This law was setup in the middle ages and it required ever male over the age of 14 to practice with a longbow every week.
The laws still in place but has been massively overlooked and forgotten.
In my state (CT) it’s illegal to sell pickles that don’t bounce.
Changing your own light bulbs; in Australia, the law says you must hire a licensed electrician to do it.
In Texas, there is still a law on the books that it is a crime to carry bolt cutters around. It is a leftover from the days of cattle rustlers, when the bad guys would use bolt cutters to take down barbed wire fencing. Pretty sure it hasn’t been prosecuted in a hundred years.
Chico, CA, it’s a $500 fine to make or have a nuclear weapon within city limits
“No person shall produce, test, maintain, or store within the city a nuclear weapon, component of a nuclear weapon, nuclear weapon delivery system, or component of a nuclear weapon delivery system under penalty of Chapter 9.60.030 of the Chico Municipal Code.”
You can go to Lowes and buy weed-killer off the shelf and use it on your property. You can use it on your parent’s property. If you use it on your neighbor’s property and he gives you $20, that’s a felony.
Edit: Treating according to label instructions for friends and family without compensation does not qualify as a business activity most places. If you do this and receive compensation, then you’re conducting business and under the law you should have a commercial applicator’s licence. This is mostly an example of a badly- written law that is too open- ended. I don’t know anyone who has got in any real legal trouble over an unlicensed jug of roundup, but they could.
California Law stating that it is illegal to wash your neighbor’s car without their permission.
Also, in San Francisco and Long Beach here you cannot store anything other than an automobile in your garage.
Edit: This is no longer a law/ordinance in Long Beach anymore.
The SF one is for commercial structures only, but at one point it definitely was illegal to use your garage as anything other than a parking spot for your car. People could do stuff like rent out their garage, tax free.
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