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

We checked four claims from popular weird-law lists about Idaho against the full text of the Idaho Code and, for the claim that names a town, the City of Pocatello's own account and its current city code, as of October 21, 2026. The strangest-sounding claim on the list is the one that is plainly true. For other states, see our weird laws by state guide.

Weird laws in Idaho: the verdicts

Each claim below was checked against the Idaho code and, where it names a town, the local code. 4 claims checked.

Still on the books

The claim: Cannibalism is a specific felony (survival exception).

What the law says: Idaho makes it a crime to wilfully ingest the flesh or blood of a human being, with an affirmative defense for acts taken under extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival. Punishable by up to 14 years in state prison.

Idaho Code § 18-5003

“Any person who wilfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism.”

Penalty: imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding fourteen (14) years

No court opinion in our database cites this section.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

No state law found

The claim: Fishing from the back of a camel/animal is illegal.

What the law says: No current Idaho state law found against fishing from the back of a camel or other animal. Idaho Code 36-902 lists unlawful fishing methods, such as poisons, explosives, nets and spears, and says nothing about fishing from an animal; section 36-901 leaves other fishing methods to Fish and Game Commission rules.

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

How we searched

We searched the full text of the Idaho Code for any rule on camels or on fishing from the back of an animal, and read the section lists of the fish and game chapters on fish protection, licensing and commercial fishing.

Parts of the code read

• Idaho Code Title 36, Chapter 9 (protection of fish, including unlawful fishing methods)
• Idaho Code Title 36, Chapter 4 (hunting, trapping and fishing licenses)
• Idaho Code Title 36, Chapter 8 (commercial fishing)

No town code was checked for this claim.

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

City law, not state law

The claim: Pocatello law requires smiling.

What the law says: This was a Pocatello city ordinance, not Idaho state law. The City of Pocatello says it passed a tongue-in-cheek 'Smile Ordinance' in 1948, after an exceptionally severe winter, making it illegal not to smile, and that the ordinance stayed on the books until staff and a local reporter came across it (a 1987 Idaho State Journal article). Later in 1987 Pocatello was declared the 'U.S. Smile Capital,' and it now holds an annual Smile Days event. No smiling requirement appears in the current Pocatello City Code as of 2026-10-21.

Pocatello, Idaho: 1948 'Smile Ordinance' (tongue-in-cheek; number not shown on the city page); not found in the current Pocatello City Code (current status not confirmed)

Primary source · Checked October 21, 2026.

No state law found

The claim: Kissing longer than 18 minutes is illegal.

What the law says: No Idaho state law found limiting how long a kiss may last. Idaho's public-order and decency chapters (Idaho Code Title 18, chapters 41 and 64) contain no rule on kissing.

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

How we searched

We searched the full text of the Idaho Code for any rule on kissing or public displays of affection, and read the section lists of the public-order and decency chapters.

Parts of the code read

• Idaho Code Title 18, Chapter 64 (riots, unlawful assemblies and disturbing the peace)
• Idaho Code Title 18, Chapter 41 (obscenity, public display of offensive material and indecent exposure)

No town code was checked for this claim.

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.

Cannibalism is a named crime

Idaho Code § 18-5003 says:

Any person who wilfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism.

The section gives an affirmative defense for acts taken under extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival. That is the survival exception the popular lists mention. The penalty is imprisonment in the state prison not exceeding fourteen years.

Pocatello's order to smile

The smiling law was a city joke that made it into the books. According to the City of Pocatello, the city passed a tongue-in-cheek Smile Ordinance in 1948, after an exceptionally severe winter, making it illegal not to smile.

The city says the ordinance stayed on the books until staff and a local reporter came across it, and it points to a 1987 Idaho State Journal article on the find. Later in 1987 Pocatello was declared the U.S. Smile Capital, and it now holds an annual Smile Days event. The city's page does not give the ordinance number, and no smiling requirement appears in the current Pocatello City Code as of October 21, 2026.

Camels, fishing lines and long kisses

No state law was found in the Idaho Code as of October 21, 2026 against fishing from the back of a camel or any other animal. Idaho Code § 36-902 lists the unlawful ways to fish, such as poisons, explosives, nets and spears, and riding an animal is not among them. Section 36-901 leaves other fishing methods to Fish and Game Commission rules. We also read the section lists of the licensing chapter (Title 36, chapter 4) and the commercial fishing chapter (chapter 8).

No Idaho state law was found limiting how long a kiss may last. The 18-minute claim has no match in the public-order chapter (Title 18, chapter 64, on riots, unlawful assemblies and disturbing the peace) or the decency chapter (chapter 41, on obscenity, public display of offensive material and indecent exposure). Neither contains a rule on kissing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is cannibalism illegal in Idaho?

Yes. Idaho Code § 18-5003 provides that any person who wilfully ingests the flesh or blood of a human being is guilty of cannibalism, punishable by up to 14 years in state prison. The section allows an affirmative defense for acts under extreme life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.

Is it illegal not to smile in Pocatello, Idaho?

The City of Pocatello says it passed a tongue-in-cheek Smile Ordinance in 1948 making it illegal not to smile, and that it stayed on the books until city staff and a local reporter came across it, as a 1987 Idaho State Journal article reported. No smiling requirement appears in the current Pocatello City Code as of October 21, 2026.

Is it illegal to fish from the back of a camel in Idaho?

No state law was found in the Idaho Code as of October 21, 2026 against fishing from the back of a camel or other animal. Idaho Code § 36-902 lists unlawful fishing methods such as poisons, explosives, nets and spears, and § 36-901 leaves other methods to Fish and Game Commission rules.

Is kissing for more than 18 minutes illegal in Idaho?

No state law was found in the Idaho Code as of October 21, 2026 limiting how long a kiss may last. The public-order and decency chapters of the Idaho Code (Title 18, chapters 41 and 64) contain no rule on kissing.

What are some weird laws in Idaho?

Claims from popular weird-law lists include a cannibalism law with a survival exception, a Pocatello rule requiring smiles, a ban on fishing from a camel and an 18-minute kissing limit. The cannibalism law is real and current; the smile rule was a 1948 Pocatello ordinance that is not in the current city code.