Weird Laws by State: Which Are Still on the Books (2026)
Independently fact-checked against primary sources (last audited October 21, 2026). · 13 primary sources cited on this page. How we verify our legal content
A weird-law claim is usually a one-line entry on a list: a duck on your head in Minnesota, a bouncing pickle in Connecticut, a drunk fish in Ohio. We took 204 claims about state law from popular weird-law lists, plus two about federal rules, and checked each one against the official code, and against the town or county code when the claim names a place, as of October 21, 2026. Some hold up, some are a real law retold as something stranger, and for some no state law was found at all.
Weird-law claims, checked
One claim from each of these states, taken from popular weird-law lists and checked against its code.
The claim: It is illegal to harass/kill Bigfoot.
What the law says: Not Washington state law. Skamania County's official ordinance list records two county ordinances, No. 69-01 'Sasquatch protection' and No. 1984-02 'Sasquatch refuge'; neither was codified into the county code and neither is marked repealed. Published copies of the 1984 ordinance describe a county Sasquatch refuge and criminal penalties for killing one; those copies were not verified against an official text, and they address killing, not harassment.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Collecting seaweed at night is illegal.
What the law says: RSA 207:48 makes it a violation to carry away or collect for carrying away seaweed or rockweed from the seashore below high-water mark between evening daylight and morning daylight. The claim is accurate but narrower than 'collecting seaweed at night': it covers carrying away or collecting for carrying away, from below high-water mark.
“If any person shall carry away or collect for the purpose of carrying away any seaweed or rockweed from the seashore below high-water mark, between daylight in the evening and daylight in the morning, he shall be guilty of a violation.”
Penalty: violation (source: 1973, 532:10, eff. Nov. 1, 1973)
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: You may not pump your own gas.
What the law says: New Jersey's Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act (L.1989, c.263) says no person may dispense fuel at a gas station unless that person is a trained attendant, and makes it unlawful for an attendant to let anyone else pump. A violator of any provision of the act faces a civil penalty of $50 to $250 for a first offense and up to $500 for each later offense; it is not a crime.
“No person shall dispense fuel at a gasoline station, unless the person is an attendant who has received instructions regarding the dispensing of fuel, had practical experience dispensing fuel under the direct supervision of an experienced operator for a period of not less than one full working day, and, upon examination at the end of that period, demonstrated his understanding of those instructions.”
Penalty: A violator of any provision of this act shall be liable for a penalty of not less than $50.00 and not more than $250.00 for a first offense and not more than $500.00 for each subsequent offense.
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: It is illegal to get a fish drunk.
What the law says: No Ohio statute or wildlife rule mentions getting a fish drunk. The closest real rules limit how fish may be caught: an Ohio Division of Wildlife rule makes it unlawful to take or try to take fish using explosives, poisons, firearms, electricity or chemicals, and the Revised Code says fish may be taken only by angling unless otherwise provided.
No state law found in the Ohio code as of October 21, 2026.
How we searched
We searched the full text of the Ohio Revised Code for any rule on getting fish drunk or intoxicated, and read the hunting and fishing chapter, the animal offense chapter and the state wildlife rule on methods of taking fish.
Parts of the code read
- Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1533 (hunting and fishing, including fishing licenses and lawful methods of taking fish)
- Ohio Revised Code Chapter 959 (offenses relating to domestic animals, including poisoning animals)
No town code was checked for this claim.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: A pickle must bounce to be sold/legally a pickle.
What the law says: No state law found in the Connecticut General Statutes requiring a pickle to bounce. The only pickle reference is in the home-farm acidified-food sale statute, which defines 'acidified food product' by pH (4.6 or less) and lists pickles as an example.
No state law found in the Connecticut code as of October 20, 2026.
How we searched
We searched the full text of the Connecticut General Statutes for any rule on pickles or a bounce test, including every section of the food and drug chapter and the Penal Code offenses chapter.
Parts of the code read
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 417 (pure food and drugs)
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 952 (Penal Code: offenses)
No town code was checked for this claim.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Billboards are banned.
What the law says: Hawaii law bars erecting, maintaining or using a billboard or other outdoor advertising device, with a list of exceptions (official notices, on-premises business signs, for-sale signs, etc.). A violation carries a fine of $25 to $500, up to one month in jail, or both. Outdoor advertising that violates the highway outdoor-advertising rules in HRS chapter 264 is also a public nuisance (HRS § 264-76).
“No person shall erect, maintain, or use a billboard or display any outdoor advertising device, except as provided in this section”
Penalty: HRS § 445-121(a): 'Any person violating any provision of sections 445-111 to 445-121 shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $500, or imprisoned not more than one month, or both.' Injunction suits are also available under § 445-120.
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: You cannot cross state lines with a duck on your head.
What the law says: No Minnesota statute concerns carrying a duck on your head or across state lines. The closest real rules govern transporting harvested birds: with some exceptions, Minnesota requires game birds, including ducks, to be shipped or transported undressed, meaning with a fully feathered wing intact (Minn. Stat. 97A.545, subd. 5 and 97A.015, subd. 49), and a federal rule (50 CFR 20.43) requires the head or one fully feathered wing to stay attached to migratory game birds while they are transported.
No state law found in the Minnesota code as of October 21, 2026.
How we searched
We searched the full text of the Minnesota Statutes for any rule on ducks or carrying an animal across state lines, including the full text of the game and fish chapters, the animal cruelty chapter, and the criminal, public safety, traffic and animal health chapters.
Parts of the code read
- Minnesota Statutes Chapter 97A (game and fish: general provisions)
- Minnesota Statutes Chapter 97B (game and fish: hunting)
- Minnesota Statutes Chapter 343 (prevention of cruelty to animals)
No town code was checked for this claim.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Sheep in a truck cab need a chaperone.
What the law says: No Montana statute requires a chaperone for sheep riding in a vehicle. The real rules are different: a state law lets the livestock department require permits for transporting sheep, to prevent theft, with a misdemeanor penalty for knowingly transporting sheep in violation of those rules (MCA 81-5-112), and a general traffic rule bars any load or passenger in the front seat that blocks the driver's view or control (MCA 61-8-360).
No state law found in the Montana code as of October 21, 2026.
How we searched
We searched the full text of the Montana Code Annotated for any rule on sheep riding in a vehicle cab or needing a chaperone, and read the traffic rules on vehicle occupants and loads, the livestock transport sections and the animal cruelty sections.
Parts of the code read
- Montana Code Annotated Title 61, Chapter 8, Part 3 (rules of the road: obstruction to driver's view, riding on fenders, riding in trailers)
- Montana Code Annotated Title 81, Chapter 5, Part 1 (unlawful transporting of livestock, including the sheep transport permit system)
- Montana Code Annotated Title 45, Chapter 8, Part 2 (offenses against public order, including cruelty to animals)
No town code was checked for this claim.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Taking a camel on a public highway is illegal.
What the law says: An 1875 Nevada act made it unlawful for owners to let camels or dromedaries run at large on or about public roads or highways, a misdemeanor. It was repealed in 1899. It never banned taking a camel on a highway as such, and no current NRS provision mentions camels.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: It is illegal to bite off another person's leg or limb.
What the law says: Maliciously or on purpose putting out an eye, slitting a nose, ear or lip, or cutting off, biting off or disabling any limb or member of another person is a mayhem offense punishable by 1 to 20 years in prison. 'Bite off' is the statute's actual wording.
“Every person who shall voluntarily, maliciously or of purpose put out an eye, slit the nose, ear, or lip, or cut off, bite off, or disable any limb or member of another, shall be imprisoned not exceeding twenty (20) years nor less than one year.”
Penalty: "shall be imprisoned not exceeding twenty (20) years nor less than one year" (R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1)
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: Minors under 18 may not play pinball.
What the law says: It is unlawful for a minor under 18 to play a pinball machine. Under the juvenile code, playing pinball is listed as a 'status offense' (conduct that is not a crime for adults); no criminal fine is stated in the section.
“It is unlawful for a minor under the age of eighteen to play a pinball machine.”
Penalty: none stated; 63-19-20(9) defines 'status offense' to include 'playing a pinball machine' (juvenile justice handling)
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: It is illegal to push a live moose out of an airplane.
What the law says: No Alaska statute mentions moose and airplanes. Alaska's general fish and game law makes it a class A misdemeanor to take, possess or transport game except as the fish and game statutes or regulations permit, and 'take' includes 'in any manner disturbing' game, so the viral rule is that general law retold as a specific one.
“Unless permitted by AS 16.05 – AS 16.40 or by regulation adopted under AS 16.05 – AS 16.40, a person may not take, possess, transport, sell, offer to sell, purchase, or offer to purchase fish, game, or marine aquatic plants”
Penalty: AS 16.05.925(a): a person who violates AS 16.05.920 'is guilty of a class A misdemeanor.'
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
National claims (federal law)
The claim: Removing the 'do not remove under penalty of law' mattress tag is a crime.
What the law says: Federal mattress flammability rules (16 C.F.R. 1632.31 and 1633.12) say that no person 'other than the ultimate consumer' may remove or mutilate the required label. The rule is aimed at manufacturers, distributors and sellers, not at the consumer who owns the mattress. Separate state bedding-law labels vary by state.
“No person, other than the ultimate consumer, shall remove or mutilate, or cause or participate in the removal or mutilation of, any label required by this section to be affixed to any item.”
Penalty: Not stated in the regulation.
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
The claim: A federal regulation makes unsanctioned contact with a quarantined llama an offense.
What the law says: USDA's import rules for ruminants (which the regulation defines to include llamas) say visitors are not permitted in quarantine enclosures while ruminants are in quarantine unless the APHIS inspector in charge grants access. It is a facility-access rule for imported animals, not a llama-specific offense.
“Visitors are not permitted in the quarantine enclosures during any time that ruminants are in quarantine unless the APHIS representative or inspector in charge specifically grants access under such conditions and restrictions as may be imposed by the APHIS representative or inspector in charge.”
Penalty: Not stated in the section.
No court opinion in our database cites this section.
Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.
Checked October 21, 2026. This is legal history and information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority.
What the audit found
Of the 204 state-law claims, 73 (about a third) describe a law that is still on the books. The next largest group is the 58 claims for which no state law was found in that state's code. The rest are general laws retold as specific ones, local rules, repealed laws and one bill that never passed.
| Verdict | Claims | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Still on the books | 73 | A current state law says this, sometimes in narrower terms than the claim |
| Real law, twisted claim | 31 | A real general law exists, and the claim retells it as a specific, odder rule |
| City law, not state law | 30 | The rule comes from a local ordinance, not the state code |
| Repealed | 11 | The law existed but was later repealed |
| Proposed, never passed | 1 | A bill was introduced but never became law |
| Struck down by a court | 0 | No claim turned out to be a law a court struck down |
| No state law found | 58 | No state law was found in that state's code after a documented search |
| Total | 204 |
The verdicts cover 51 jurisdictions: all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 42 states have a page of their own, and the index at the bottom of this page lists every state by region. The two federal claims are not counted in the table.
Why so many viral laws turn out to be something else
In these records, the three most common ways a list entry differs from the law are that it retells a general law as a strange specific one, it moves a town or county rule up to the state, or it names a rule for which no state law was found. Repealed laws and a bill that never passed account for the rest.
A general law, retold as a specific one
31 state claims fall in this group. The Alaska moose claim is an example. No Alaska statute was found that mentions moose and airplanes, but Alaska's general fish and game law, Alaska Stat. § 16.05.920(a), says a person may not take, possess or transport game except as the fish and game statutes or regulations permit.
The definition of "take" includes "in any manner disturbing" game, and a violation is a class A misdemeanor (§ 16.05.925(a)). The viral rule is that general law retold as a specific one. The section is cited in court opinions, including a 2025 Alaska Court of Appeals opinion; a citing opinion is not a ruling on the viral claim.
The mattress tag works the same way at the federal level. The flammability rules in 16 C.F.R. 1632.31(b)(5) and 1633.12(e) say:
"No person, other than the ultimate consumer, shall remove or mutilate, or cause or participate in the removal or mutilation of, any label required by this section to be affixed to any item."
That rule is aimed at manufacturers, distributors and sellers, not at the consumer who owns the mattress. State bedding-law labels are separate and vary by state.
A claim that a federal regulation makes unsanctioned contact with a quarantined llama an offense stretches 9 C.F.R. 93.413. That USDA import rule covers ruminants, which the regulation defines to include llamas, and bars visitors from quarantine enclosures while ruminants are in quarantine unless the APHIS inspector in charge grants access. It is a facility-access rule for imported animals, not a llama-specific offense.
A county or city rule, not state law
30 claims point to a local rule. The Washington Bigfoot claim is one. It is not Washington state law: Skamania County's official ordinance list records two county ordinances, No. 69-01 "Sasquatch protection" and No. 1984-02 "Sasquatch refuge." Neither was codified into the county code, and neither is marked repealed.
Published copies of the 1984 ordinance describe a county Sasquatch refuge and criminal penalties for killing one. Those copies were not verified against an official text, and they address killing, not harassment. So the supportable version of the claim is narrower: two county ordinances, still on the county's list, and a 1984 text that, in its published copies, concerns killing.
No state law found
For 58 claims, no state law was found in that state's code as of October 21, 2026. That is a statement about the state code on that date, based on reading the chapters where such a rule would sit and a full-text search. In the four examples below, the closest real rule the search turned up is more ordinary than the claim.
- Ohio, getting a fish drunk. No Ohio statute or wildlife rule was found that mentions it. The closest real rules limit how fish may be caught: a Division of Wildlife rule makes it unlawful to take or try to take fish using explosives, poisons, firearms, electricity or chemicals, and the Ohio Revised Code chapter on hunting and fishing says fish may be taken only by angling unless otherwise provided.
- Connecticut, the bouncing pickle. No state law requiring a pickle to bounce was found in the General Statutes. The only pickle reference the search found is in the home-farm acidified-food sale statute, which defines "acidified food product" by pH (4.6 or less) and lists pickles as an example. The search covered the full text of the General Statutes, including every section of the pure food and drugs chapter and the Penal Code offenses chapter.
- Minnesota, a duck on your head across state lines. No Minnesota statute on the subject was found. The closest real rules govern transporting harvested birds: with some exceptions, Minnesota requires game birds, including ducks, to be shipped or transported with a fully feathered wing intact (Minn. Stat. 97A.545, subd. 5 and 97A.015, subd. 49), and a federal rule, 50 CFR 20.43, requires the head or one fully feathered wing to stay attached to migratory game birds in transport. The search read the game and fish chapters and the animal cruelty chapter.
- Montana, sheep in a truck cab need a chaperone. No Montana statute requiring one was found. A state law lets the livestock department require permits for transporting sheep, to prevent theft, with a misdemeanor penalty for knowingly transporting sheep in violation of those rules (MCA 81-5-112). A general traffic rule bars any load or passenger in the front seat that blocks the driver's view or control (MCA 61-8-360).
Weird laws that really are still on the books
73 claims check out as current state law. Reading the statute usually shows a narrower rule than the list version, and sometimes the statute's own wording is as odd as the claim.
New Hampshire: collecting seaweed at night
N.H. RSA 207:48 makes it a violation to carry away seaweed or rockweed from the shore at night:
"If any person shall carry away or collect for the purpose of carrying away any seaweed or rockweed from the seashore below high-water mark, between daylight in the evening and daylight in the morning, he shall be guilty of a violation."
The claim is accurate but the law is narrower. It covers carrying away, or collecting in order to carry away, and only from the seashore below the high-water mark.
New Jersey: you may not pump your own gas
New Jersey's Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act says no person may dispense fuel at a gas station unless that person is a trained attendant, and makes it unlawful for an attendant to let anyone else pump (N.J.S.A. 34:3A-6 and 34:3A-7). The penalty is civil, not criminal: $50 to $250 for a first offense and up to $500 for each later offense (N.J.S.A. 34:3A-10).
Hawaii: billboards are banned
HRS § 445-112 says no person shall erect, maintain or use a billboard or display any outdoor advertising device, except as the section provides. The exceptions include official notices, on-premises business signs and for-sale signs.
A violation carries a fine of $25 to $500, up to one month in jail, or both (HRS § 445-121(a)). Separately, outdoor advertising that violates the highway outdoor-advertising rules in HRS chapter 264 is a public nuisance (HRS § 264-76).
Rhode Island: biting off a limb
The claim sounds invented, but "bite off" is the statute's own wording. R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1 is a mayhem offense covering anyone who voluntarily, maliciously or on purpose puts out an eye, slits a nose, ear or lip, or cuts off, bites off or disables any limb or member of another person. The penalty is 1 to 20 years in prison.
South Carolina: minors and pinball
S.C. Code 63-19-2430 says: "It is unlawful for a minor under the age of eighteen to play a pinball machine." The section states no criminal fine. The juvenile code lists playing a pinball machine as a status offense, meaning conduct that is not a crime for adults (S.C. Code 63-19-20(9)).
Laws that were repealed
11 claims describe laws that existed and were later repealed. Nevada's camel law is one. An 1875 act made it unlawful for owners to let camels or dromedaries run at large on or about public roads or highways, a misdemeanor, and the Legislature repealed it in 1899.
Even in its day, that act did not ban taking a camel on a highway as such; it was about letting camels run loose. No current Nevada statute mentioning camels was found. One more claim describes a bill that was proposed but never became law.
How to read a verdict
Each card shows a verdict, a plain summary of what the law says, the date it was checked, and the source. A few parts are worth reading closely.
- Still on the books. A current state law says this. Read the summary and the quote: the statute is often narrower than the claim, as with New Hampshire's seaweed rule.
- No state law found in that state's code as of the date shown. We read the code chapters where such a rule would sit and searched the full text of the state code, and the card shows which chapters were read. It is a statement about the state code on that date.
- What that does not mean. It does not cover a town or county code unless the card says the local code was checked. It does not cover changes after the date shown. And it does not mean the conduct is lawful, because a general law, like Ohio's rules on how fish may be taken, can still apply.
- Court use. Where a card lists court use, it comes from court opinions that cite the section. A citing opinion shows courts have cited the statute; it is not a ruling on the viral claim.
- Re-checking. Every verdict was re-checked by a separate reviewer whose job was to prove it wrong.
This page is general legal information about what the codes say as of October 21, 2026, not legal advice about any specific situation. For the state-by-state legal guides these laws sit alongside, see our US laws by state hub.
Every state's verdicts
Weird laws by state
204 claims checked across 50 states and the District of Columbia.
| State | Claims checked | Real law behind it (on the books or twisted) | No state law (not found, city-only or never passed) | Repealed or struck down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Maine | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| New Hampshire | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| New Jersey | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| New York | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Pennsylvania | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Rhode Island | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vermont | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| State | Claims checked | Real law behind it (on the books or twisted) | No state law (not found, city-only or never passed) | Repealed or struck down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Indiana | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| Iowa | 7 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| Kansas | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Minnesota | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Missouri | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Nebraska | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| North Dakota | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Ohio | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| South Dakota | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wisconsin | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| State | Claims checked | Real law behind it (on the books or twisted) | No state law (not found, city-only or never passed) | Repealed or struck down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Arkansas | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Delaware | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| District of Columbia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Florida | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Georgia | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Kentucky | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Louisiana | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Maryland | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Mississippi | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| North Carolina | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Oklahoma | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| South Carolina | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tennessee | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Texas | 7 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| Virginia | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| State | Claims checked | Real law behind it (on the books or twisted) | No state law (not found, city-only or never passed) | Repealed or struck down |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Arizona | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| California | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Colorado | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| Hawaii | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Idaho | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Montana | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Nevada | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| New Mexico | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Oregon | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Utah | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Washington | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Wyoming | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Checked October 21, 2026. This is legal history and information, not legal advice. Laws change; the linked official text is the authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are weird laws real?
Some are. Of 204 weird-law claims from popular lists that we checked against state codes as of October 21, 2026, 73 describe a law still on the books, often in narrower terms than the claim. Another 31 retell a real general law as an odder specific one, 30 are local ordinances rather than state law, 11 describe repealed laws, 1 describes a bill that never passed, and for 58 no state law was found in that state's code.
What weird laws are still on the books?
Several claims check out: New Hampshire bars carrying away seaweed or rockweed from the seashore below the high-water mark at night (RSA 207:48), New Jersey bars anyone but a trained attendant from dispensing fuel at a gas station (N.J.S.A. 34:3A-6 and 34:3A-7), Hawaii bars billboards and outdoor advertising devices with listed exceptions (HRS 445-112), Rhode Island's mayhem statute uses the words bite off (R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1), and South Carolina makes it unlawful for a minor under 18 to play a pinball machine (S.C. Code 63-19-2430).
Is it illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey?
Yes. New Jersey's Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act says no person may dispense fuel at a gas station unless that person is a trained attendant, and makes it unlawful for an attendant to let anyone else pump. A violator faces a civil penalty of $50 to $250 for a first offense and up to $500 for each later offense; it is not a crime.
Is it illegal to kill Bigfoot in Washington?
It is not Washington state law. Skamania County's official ordinance list records two county ordinances, No. 69-01 'Sasquatch protection' and No. 1984-02 'Sasquatch refuge'; neither was codified into the county code and neither is marked repealed. Published copies of the 1984 ordinance describe criminal penalties for killing one, but those copies were not verified against an official text, and they address killing, not harassment.
Is it illegal to push a moose out of an airplane in Alaska?
No Alaska statute was found that mentions moose and airplanes. Alaska's general fish and game law (Alaska Stat. 16.05.920(a)) bars taking, possessing or transporting game except as the fish and game statutes or regulations permit, and 'take' includes 'in any manner disturbing' game. A violation is a class A misdemeanor. The viral claim retells that general law as a specific one.
Is it illegal to remove a mattress tag?
The federal mattress flammability rules (16 C.F.R. 1632.31 and 1633.12) say no person other than the ultimate consumer may remove or mutilate the required label. The rule is aimed at manufacturers, distributors and sellers, not at the consumer who owns the mattress. Separate state bedding-law labels vary by state.
Is it illegal to get a fish drunk in Ohio?
No state law was found in the Ohio code as of October 21, 2026 that mentions getting a fish drunk; the search covered the Revised Code and the state wildlife rule on methods of taking fish. The closest real rules limit how fish may be caught: a Division of Wildlife rule makes it unlawful to take or try to take fish using explosives, poisons, firearms, electricity or chemicals, and the Revised Code says fish may be taken only by angling unless otherwise provided.
Does a pickle have to bounce in Connecticut?
No state law requiring a pickle to bounce was found in the Connecticut General Statutes as of October 21, 2026. The only pickle reference the search found is in the home-farm acidified-food sale statute, which defines an acidified food product by pH (4.6 or less) and lists pickles as an example.
Can you cross state lines with a duck on your head in Minnesota?
No Minnesota statute about carrying a duck on your head or across state lines was found in the Minnesota Statutes as of October 21, 2026. The closest real rules govern transporting harvested birds: with some exceptions, Minnesota requires game birds, including ducks, to be shipped or transported with a fully feathered wing intact (Minn. Stat. 97A.545, subd. 5), and a federal rule (50 CFR 20.43) requires the head or one fully feathered wing to stay attached to migratory game birds while they are transported.
What does No state law found mean?
It means we read the code chapters where such a rule would sit and searched the full text of the state code, and found no state law matching the claim as of the date shown. It is not a finding that no law of any kind exists: it does not cover a town or county code unless the card says the local code was checked, it does not cover later changes, and a general law can still apply to the conduct.
How did you choose which weird laws to check?
We collected claims from popular weird-law lists. Each was checked against the official state code, and against the town or county code when the claim names a place. Every verdict was then re-checked by a separate reviewer trying to prove it wrong.
Updates
Independently fact-checked against the cited primary sources
Sources and References
- Alaska Stat. § 16.05.920, unlawful acts (fish and game)(akleg.gov).gov
- 16 C.F.R. 1632.31, mattress flammability standard: labeling(ecfr.gov).gov
- 9 C.F.R. 93.413, ruminant import quarantine facilities(ecfr.gov).gov
- Skamania County, WA, Ordinance List and Disposition Table(ecode360.com)
- Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1533, hunting and fishing(codes.ohio.gov).gov
- Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 417, pure food and drugs(cga.ct.gov).gov
- Minnesota Statutes Chapter 97B, game and fish: hunting(revisor.mn.gov).gov
- Mont. Code Ann. 81-5-112, sheep transport permits(mca.legmt.gov).gov
- N.H. RSA 207:48, taking seaweed at night(gencourt.state.nh.us).gov
- N.J.S.A. 34:3A, Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act(lis.njleg.state.nj.us).gov
- HRS § 445-112, billboards and outdoor advertising(capitol.hawaii.gov).gov
- R.I. Gen. Laws 11-29-1, mayhem(webserver.rilegislature.gov).gov
- S.C. Code Title 63, Chapter 19 (63-19-2430, minors playing pinball)(scstatehouse.gov).gov
- 1899 Nev. Stat. ch. 105, repealing the 1875 camel act(leg.state.nv.us).gov
- State of Alaska v. Alisha Rosenbruch-Decker , State of Alaska v. Zachariah Brent Decker (2025)(courtlistener.com)