Weird Laws in Connecticut: Which Are Still on the Books?

We checked three weird Connecticut claims that recur on popular lists against the full text of the Connecticut General Statutes and, for the one claim that names a town, Meriden's city code, as of October 21, 2026. It is a short list, and the only claim with a real rule behind it concerns a party novelty in one city. For other states, see our weird laws by state guide.

Weird laws in Connecticut: the verdicts

Each claim below was checked against the Connecticut code and, where it names a town, the local code. 3 claims checked.

No state law found

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.

No state law found

The claim: Married couples cannot kiss in public on Sundays.

What the law says: No Connecticut statute restricts kissing by married couples on Sundays; current Sunday provisions concern sales hours.

No state law found in the Connecticut code as of October 21, 2026.

How we searched

We searched the full text of the Connecticut General Statutes for any rule on kissing or on conduct on Sundays, read the Penal Code offenses chapter, and reviewed the statutes that mention Sunday.

Parts of the code read

• Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 952 (Penal Code: offenses, including public indecency, breach of the peace and disorderly conduct)
• Connecticut General Statutes sections that mention Sunday (legal holidays, Section 1-4; Sunday liquor-sale hours, Sections 30-91 and 30-91a)

No town code was checked for this claim.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

City law, not state law

The claim: Meriden restricts selling silly string to minors.

What the law says: Meriden has a city ordinance (Chapter 175) barring sale of silly string to a minor unless a parent or guardian is present, requiring it be kept behind a counter or locked, and restricting its sale or use on public property. Fine is $99.

Meriden, Connecticut: Code of the City of Meriden ch. 175 (adopted 6-17-2002). § 175-2A: 'Offer for sale or sell silly string or like products to a minor unless said minor is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at the time of the sale.' § 175-2C bars selling, distributing, using or possessing silly string at public parks, buildings, streets, sidewalks and other public property. § 175-4: 'subject to a fine of $99' plus cleanup costs. (in force)

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.

Silly string in Meriden is a real rule

Meriden adopted chapter 175 of its city code on June 17, 2002. Section 175-2A reads:

Offer for sale or sell silly string or like products to a minor unless said minor is accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at the time of the sale.

The chapter goes further than sales to minors. It requires silly string to be kept behind a counter or locked, and § 175-2C bars selling, distributing, using or possessing silly string or like products at public parks, public buildings, streets, sidewalks and other public property.

Under § 175-4, a violation is subject to a fine of $99 plus cleanup costs. This is a Meriden ordinance, so it applies in that city, not across Connecticut.

A pickle law that is about acidity

The claim that a pickle must bounce to be sold, or to count as a pickle, has no statute behind it that we could find. No state law was found in the Connecticut General Statutes as of October 21, 2026 requiring a bounce test; we read the pure food and drug chapter (chapter 417) and the Penal Code offenses chapter (chapter 952).

Pickles do appear once. A statute on home-farm sales of acidified food defines an acidified food product by its pH, 4.6 or less, and lists pickles as an example. That definition turns on acidity; it says nothing about a pickle bouncing.

Sunday kissing and Sunday statutes

No Connecticut statute was found that restricts married couples kissing in public on Sundays, as of October 21, 2026. We searched the statutes for any rule on kissing or on Sunday conduct and read the Penal Code offenses chapter, which includes public indecency, breach of the peace and disorderly conduct.

The statutes that do mention Sunday are about the calendar and the cash register: Section 1-4 on legal holidays, and Sections 30-91 and 30-91a on Sunday liquor-sale hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to sell silly string in Connecticut?

The rule on popular lists is a Meriden city ordinance. Meriden Code chapter 175 bars selling silly string or like products to a minor unless a parent or legal guardian is present, requires it to be kept behind a counter or locked, and bars its sale, use or possession on public property. The fine is $99 plus cleanup costs.

Does a pickle have to bounce to be sold in Connecticut?

No state law was found in the Connecticut General Statutes as of October 21, 2026 requiring a pickle to bounce. The only pickle reference found is a home-farm acidified-food sale statute that defines acidified food by a pH of 4.6 or less and lists pickles as an example.

Is it illegal for married couples to kiss on Sunday in Connecticut?

No Connecticut statute was found restricting kissing by married couples on Sundays. The Penal Code offenses chapter has no such rule, and the statutes that mention Sunday concern legal holidays and liquor-sale hours.

What are some weird laws in Connecticut?

The claims we checked are the bouncing pickle, the Sunday kissing ban for married couples and Meriden silly string. Only the silly string rule has law behind it, and it is a Meriden city ordinance rather than state law.