Paying a traffic fine is the easiest way to resolve a citation, but it also technically waives your right to a hearing by entering a guilty plea. Statewide, Texas legislatures from generations past have enacted some real weirdness that was supposed to be enforced throughout the state. Partly because who would be dusting public buildings with a feather duster in the first place? According to state law, it's illegal for a person in an "offensive state of intoxication" to "enter or be on or remain upon any railway train or interurban car as a passenger.". But some unfortunate scoundrel prompted San Antonio to pass a law specifically criminalizing urinating on the Alamo. In the Lone Star State, you can marry your beloved simply by publicly announcing your other half as your wife or husband three times. The phrase Remember the Alamo originated in Alamo, San Antonio where Texas defenders were defeated by the Mexican general, Santa Anna in the Texas revolution. Alabama Putting salt on a railroad track could be punishable [] This isn't only a weird Texas law, of course. #1. They have been part of Texas culture since the 19th century. While these laws are bizarre, they are still enforceable. California takes frog rights seriously. It can be verbal or written and was supposed to help reduce crime. No ones exactly sure why the law was introduced in the first place, and everyones even more confused about why it stipulates a feather duster. Moreover, a couple can be considered legally married even if the other spouse isnt present for the ceremony. It's illegal there to practice "occult arts" - defined as "fortune telling, astrology, phrenology, palmistry, clairvoyance, mesmerism, spiritualism, or any other practice or practices generally recognized to be unsound and unscientific whereby an attempt or pretense is made. The vast majority of these laws would be a comical event if they were attempted to be enforced. In Delaware, it's illegal for a pawnbroker to "take or receive as a pledge or pawn any artificial limb or wheelchair.". Thankfully, many of those laws arent enforced or have been overwritten by recent ones. But only if you are on the second floor or higher (per Stupid Laws). ", Wisconsin takes its cheese seriously. In case you were hoping to hunt from the window of your local Best Western or Howard Johnson, Texas law prohibits shooting buffalo from the second story of your hotel. Weirdest Laws From Every State in America - Thrillist But then there is this mystery: Why would Clarendon prohibit the feather dusting of a public building? The law forbids regulations that prohibit "clotheslines, or other energy devices based on renewable resources.". A law in Temple will allow you to ride your horse into the local saloon. According to stupidlaws.com, the law stipulates that when two trains meet each other at a railroad crossing, each shall come to a full stop, and neither shall proceed until the other has gone. Kansans don't mess around with their cherry pie. 5 188 votes Milking cows It is illegal to milk another person's cow. Technically, theyre required of a kind and number to efficiently contain expectorations into them, so even just a single spittoon might do these days. The very first declaration of Texas independence was signed on the 20th of December in 1835 when Texas became an independent nation. Weirdest Laws In Texas - Grunge Blasphemy laws used to be very common in the United States, but there are still some in existence, including in . If you want to fuss with your stockings in Bristol, prepare for some jail time. Weddings are expensive. In Texas, this never has been, nor is it currently a law. According to a Gainesville proclamation passed in 1961 designed to promote Gainesville as a poultry center, it's illegal to eat fried chicken with a fork. When people hear about Texas, they probably think of guns, Dr Pepper, immigrants, cowboy boots, and rodeos. No mention of bringing it onto the dance floor, however. However, when those laws address specific needs that no longer apply (or have no context), you end up with legal codes that appear more and more ridiculous over time. You can legally marry someone by publicly introducing that person as your husband or wife 3 times. Texas is divided into 7 regions: The Gulf Coast (Houston, Corpus Christi), Prairies and Lakes (Fort WorthHill Country (San Antonio, Austin), South Texas Plains (San Antonio), Big Bend Country (El Paso), Panhandle-Plains (Amarillo, Lubach), Dallas, Arlington) and the Pine Woods (Texarkana). According to the latest census data, 56 percent of people in Texas believe in a religion, a whole 8 points higher than the national average. Texas statistically has a higher percentage of religious or religion-practicing residents than the rest of the country. Unless youve handed over money for your own cow and have the papers to prove it, youll have to stick to buying your milk at the grocery store. The Lone Star state was considered an independent nation from the year 1836 to the year 1845. How this works in practice is baffling, but if you want to stay on the right side of the law, be prepared to work it out. We hope you wont need to take a rest as youre walking around Galveston. There's an old state law that makes it a punishable offense to show up to a church in a disguise. Some of those tourists end up becoming so enamored by the attractions of the Garden State, they never leave. Use your eye or hands to flirt, and you could end up attracting as much attention from the law as from your love interest. There is no limit to the number of guns a Texan can own at one time, though there is a . The entire encyclopedia is banned in Texas because it contains a formula for making beer at home. For instance, the Limited Liability Act of 1851was originally written for a maritime industry that lacked weather forecast technology or satellite communication. In Virginia, it's illegal to "hunt or kill any wild bird or wild animal, including any nuisance species" on Sundays. In addition to . In the interests of transparency (and the dairy industry), we should point out this rule doesnt apply everywhere in Texas. Therefore, the state legislature voted to ban the set of books. Don't bother trying to keep your fingers clean if you're devouring fried chicken in Georgia. ", Thought silly string was all fun and games? As much as we all might want some fresh dairy in the morning, its illegal to milk another persons cow without permission. Back in the mid-1980s, the Texas Legislature specifically told Texans not to sell their eyes in a statute prohibiting the purchase and sale of human organs. If you want to whizz around town in a car without a windshield, its perfectly fine to do so. An ordinance was passed that makes doing so an offense punishable by a fine (per Stupid Laws). If you want to find an answer to a question, stick to Google. Which we have to admit, as safety advocates, seems like a pretty good idea. State law holds that "no person shall move uphill on any passenger tramway or use any ski slope or trail while such person's ability to do so is impaired by the consumption of alcohol or by the use of any illicit controlled substance or other drug. If your shoes are giving you blisters, dont make the mistake of thinking its ok to take them off in public. Sometimes, a strange law can still make sense. An ordinance here will force you to ingest a large dose of this liquid, which is to be administered by a doctor. Because I care, I went deep into the Gettysburg Times archives and found, from. In some cities, youre required to purchase a $5 permit before walking around barefoot. First declaration of independence was signed in Goliad where the first flag of Texas Independence was proudly hoisted. Watch your language in Maryland. It's illegal in Vermont to prohibit clotheslines. A study of the law will eventually lead the researcher to conclude that there are some really messed up legislation throughout all levels of government. Lets take a look at some of the weirdest ones below: In Austin, youre not allowed to carry wire cutters in your pocket. Here are the best spots to grab a hearty bowl today. The Big Bend national park got its name because it is situated on the largest bend of the river Rio Grande. It no longer solely depends on the strength of oil. At least when it comes to some of its laws, many of which rank amongst the strangest in America. Let's take a look at weird laws in all 50 of the US states. During the late 19th century, tens of millions of buffalo were killed in the American West. But no weird sex law story would be complete without mentioning San Antonio. Here are few of the weirdest statutes on the books across the U.S. . 8 Hilarious & Weird Laws That Are Enforced in Texas November 5, 2020 by Luiza Daude 2872 0 Table of Contents The Encyclopedia Britannica Eating Garbage Cows Marriage No Public Feather Dusting Sidewalk Sitting View the Best Chili in Austin No Shoes in Public Notice of Crimes Everywhere in the world, you can find weird laws and Texas is no exception. In Utah, it's illegal to "cause a catastrophe." Texas law also says that it's illegal to carry wire cutters in your pocket, land an airplane on the beach, and ride horses at night without "tail" lights. Texas is also home to about 450 species of birds which makes it a favorite for bird watchers and it has the most bird species in the United States. Think again. Owning a set of the Encyclopedia Britannica is against the law. For common law marriages, you just need to fill out a declaration form, which can be found online. Some of these laws were created in the early 1800s and 1900s (when they made more sense) and were just never changed, while others have been revised to fit with the times. flickr/Sam Bald. To make it easier, the authorities issued a blanket ban on wire cutters being carried. Better not try to pronounce Arkansas phonetically - the provision specifically says that " pronunciation with the accent on the second syllable with the sound of "a" in "man" and the sounding of the terminal "s" is an innovation to be discouraged.". In fact, Texas has some of the most bizarre laws on the books. Texas has one of the Worlds most impressive wind power farms which fuels the states own power grid. Next time you're in Arizona, make sure your manners are up to scratch. In Port Arthur, TX, its illegal to emit obnoxious odors in the elevator. But in Texas, one eagle-eyed legislator realized that one of the books contained a formula for making beer at home, which is illegal in the state. The slaughter was prompted, in part, by a desire to wipe out the major food source for Native Americans. According to the Texas Penal Code Section 48.02, anyone who tries to steal their eyes is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor punishable by either jail or a $4000 fine. 3 256 votes Horse in the saloon You can ride your horse in the saloon. And, a garage sale can't last longer than three days, and must be held within certain hours. The Great Smoky Mountains are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. If you're caught using a reptile in a religious service in Kentucky, you could face a fine of more than $50. According to the Tennessee Constitution, it's illegal to hold public office if a person does any of the following: "fight a duel, or knowingly be the bearer of a challenge to fight a duel, or send or accept a challenge for that purpose, or be an aider or abettor in fighting a duel.". Romance is in the air with this strange law. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. City ordinances here prohibit landing aircraft on the beach. On top of her hobbies, she loves to travel and explore new things. According to click2houston.com, its not just cheese thats a problem residents are also prohibited from buying beer after midnight on a Sunday. You are free, however, to sell blood and hair. But in 1982, a drunk Ozzy Osbourne (dressed in a skirt) did the unthinkable when he took a pee on a historic cenotaph at the site. Not to worry though, you can get a permit for about $5, and then youre free to live your best no-shoes life. The tropical storm Claudette resulted in a record-breaking 43 inches of rainfall in only 24 hours in the United States! It's illegal to get married in Nebraska if you have venereal disease (though courts have later clarified that if the other spouse is aware of the disease at the time of marriage, they can't try to annul the marriage later on these grounds). We will never ask you to provide any personal information to us. State law holds that "no person, firm or corporation shall exterminate pigeons or other harmful wild birds without first having obtained a permit from the Fargo health department.". (Temple) 4 208 votes Selling one's eye It is illegal to sell one's eye. Not all Texans wear cowboy hats and western boots, only a small percentage channel the Texas cowboy look and almost all of them are small-town ranchers. In certain sections of the University Hill neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado, a law was passed in 2001 to prohibit the use of indoor furniture outside - no couches on front lawns or porches. In the community of Mesquite, children are not allowed to have unusual haircuts. The weirdest and craziest state laws in the history of the Texas Some people have called the law into question. No matter how tired you are, resist the urge to take the load off your feet by plopping down on the sidewalk in Galveston. Which, Read More The 20 Worst Places to Live in New JerseyContinue, For many people, living against a backdrop of mountains is a dream come true. Being born and raised in Austin will do that to you - theres always something new and exciting going on. The law is always changing, as it should: the law reflects the needs of the society or community that writes them. Full disclaimer: I did high school in Texas and could be biased. You might be tempted to milk your neighbor's cow, but you had better get their permission first. 9. They couldnt. This could explain why there is a law stating you have to acknowledge a supreme being . The summer is hot and muggy with an average temperature of 102F (39C) along the Rio Grande! Those laws are generally built on custom and and are enforced to ensure public safety. If you are thinking about selling one of your eyes in Texas, you had better reconsider. While you can only be fined $10, its not worth the time and hassle. Texas Penal Code Section 48.02 has the guts to say it: selling (or buying) human organs is illegal. E: info@urbanmatter.com Its a law that no longer applies, but still gets used by some of the largest maritime companies in existence. Raccoons, take note. Texas uses the plural executive branch system which means that all executive officers are answerable to the public and not to the governor. Get caught flicking through its pages, and you could technically wind up with a hefty fine or even jail time. There are a total of two national parks in Texas: the Guadalupe Mountains national park and the Big Bend national park. The local authority was forced to pass an ordinance prohibiting the use of wire-cutters after an outcry from Austin residents. The problem is, however outdated and bizarre they might seem on paper, theyre still enforceable. We dont know why exactly many of them were created, but we do know everyone could use a good laugh. A memorial was built at the Alamo to honor the fallen heroes. This is one of the many myths you will find among weird Texas laws. The Lone Star state experiences an astounding number of tornadoes per year. Texas is the only state to have six flags from different countries fly over it. When starting a business in Texas, you need to understand the rules that the state imposes on businesses. Time to warm that soul up with a nice bowl of Texas chili. Atheists are barred from holding public office in Texas. public buildings with a feather duster in the first place? Weve all been there. volumes contains a recipe for making beer at home. The name Texas has its roots in the Caddo Indian word Taysha which means friends. You can be charged with property theft, and even trespassing. Most Texans support the American governments stance on gun control under certain circumstances and they have similar views as the rest of America. Read More: The Best Places to Order BBQ in Austin, TX. While we dont have the specific story behind this law, its not hard to imagine that El Paso was perhapsdealing with an excess of spit in public spaces. If you stumble on a slightly grimy-looking building in Clarendon, Texas, do yourself a favor and keep right on walking. For instance, you are supposedly not legally allowed to tuck your jeans into your boots unless you own more than 10 cattle (via Stupid Laws ). Three common misconceptions concerning Texas are oil dependency, guns, and the western lifestyle. It's illegal to dig in your neighbor's trash and you can actually get charged with property theft. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology. While we dont have the law codes regarding buffalo-shooting committed to memory, we can safely assume that youre not allowed to shoot them from any other floor, either. So concerned are the authorities about peoples right to spit without embarrassment, theyve even made it a legal requirement for all churches, hotels, halls of assembly, stores, markets, banking rooms, railroad depots, and saloons to provide spittoons of a kind and number to efficiently contain expectorations into them.. According to state law, it's a third-degree crime to wear a body vest while "engaged in the commission of, or an attempt to commit, or flight after committing or attempting to commit murder, manslaughter, robbery, sexual assault, burglary, kidnapping, criminal escape or assault.". The worlds very first rodeo was hosted by Texas on July 4th, 1883 in Pecos. Tossing anything from aircraft over the city is equally forbidden. State law requires that cheese labeled as Wisconsin certified premium Grade AA meet a certain standard: it must be "fine, highly pleasing and free from undesirable flavors and odors.". We dont know why exactly many of them were created, but we do know everyone could use a good laugh. The law states that "no entertainer or performer whether male or female shall be permitted to leave such platform or area while entertaining or performing.". Under Texas statutes, a person may not leave a vehicle unattended without stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the ignition, setting the parking brake effectively and, if standing on a slope, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway. Texas has had a total of eight changes of government with the first being the French: 1519-1685, French 1685-1690, Spanish 1690-1821, Mexican 1821-1836, Republic of Texas 1836-1845, United States 1845-1861, Confederate States 1861-1865, United States 1865 present day. If youre wondering about the little things, give your Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent a call to make sure you know the ins and outs of your policy so you never get surprised. In Texas, you are likely to come across armadillos, black bears, jaguarundis, leopard frogs, and tiger salamanders. So if youre going the wrong way, youll have to take the long way around. The 50 Craziest State Food Laws - MSN The law was finally repealed in 2010. Allegedly, it came from a time when ranchers disputed over open ranges vs. fencing off their land. The Weirdest Law in Every State in the USA, 1. Its easy to think that climate change is a problem for another country. It could be argued that each of these laws fit a specific purpose at one time, however, the fact that some are still on the books lends for a humorous pause. The Most Ridiculous Law in Every State - Business Insider Remember how your mother always told you not to eat with your mouth full? For instance, you are supposedly not legally allowed to tuck your jeans into your boots unless you own more than 10 cattle (via Stupid Laws). Did You Know? 15 Real Texas Laws You Won't Believe - Arnold & Itkin LLP If two trains meet at a railroad crossing, both must stop and neither can go until the other one is gone. Mississippi once passed a law stipulating that any person who has already had an illegitimate child and again becomes the parent of an illegitimate child within the state is guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by fines, jail time or both. Here are just a few. It wouldnt occur to anyone that owning a harmless set of literature, like the books making up the Encyclopedia Britannica, would be deemed illegal. 7 Weird Laws That Can Get You in Trouble in Texas - Law and Liberty Blog Texas is the home of three NBA teams: the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, and the San Antonio Spurs. The coldest month in Texas is January with an average low temperature of 36F. The story is that a state senator who didnt want a certain law passed tacked this ridiculous conundrum onto the law to ensure it couldnt go forward. The information on this website is for general information purposes only. 20 Weird Laws in Texas That Actually Still Exist; Lily Wordsmith. Noah Feldman. Need ideas? It is illegal to have an open container in a car. Common Misconceptions About The State Of Texas, Texas Unemployment Insurance Benefits Guide, Ultimate Guide to Medicaid Benefits in the USA, How to Get South Dakota Medicaid Benefits | Best Answers, How to Get Wyoming Medicaid Benefits | Best Answers, How to Get Wisconsin Medicaid Benefits | Best Answers, How to Get West Virginia Medicaid Benefits | Best Answers, New Mexico Unemployment Insurance Benefits Guide, The Longhorn, the armadillo, and the Mexican free-tailed bat. The Spanish explorer lva Nez Cabeza de Vaca was the first-ever European to step foot in Texas. As far as weird city laws go, Galveston seems to have the lion's share of them. Texas is divided into 7 regions: The Gulf Coast (Houston, Corpus Christi), Prairies and Lakes (Fort WorthHill Country (San Antonio, Austin), South Texas Plains (San Antonio), Big Bend Country (El Paso), Panhandle-Plains (Amarillo, Lubach), Dallas, Arlington) and the Pine Woods (Texarkana). ", Most of us assume that eating fellow humans doesn't fly. It is illegal to sell Limburger cheese on Sunday. Info? From a law against wearing socks with sandals in Florida to one against eating rabbits in Oklahoma, here are some of the craziest laws in the US. According to trianglerealtyllc.com, the law dates back to the time when there were all kinds of arguments going on between landowners who preferred open ranges and those who referred to mark off their territory with barbed wire. Again, its highly doubtful that a police officer is going to pull you over, but stick to socks if youre in any doubt. The law doesnt want people turning their homes into breweries, and as the Encyclopedia Britannica contains a recipe for making beer, its strictly off-limits for any law-abiding Texans. In LeFors, Texas, its also considered most improper to take more than three sips of beer while standing up. Living in Texas is amazingly affordable. From serving beer to elephants to eating peanuts in church, we've rounded up the weirdest, wackiest food laws from across the country. Their death galvanized Texas residents against the Mexican army and a month later a charged Texan army fought to victory over Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto. Every state has a weird law on the books that may have made sense at some point in history but seems pretty ridiculous in 2019. State law stipulates that "a person is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree if he deals in humanity, by trading, bartering, buying, selling, or dealing in infant children. 50 Weirdest Laws in the USA - One From Every State - YouTube So, if you plan on getting up to no good, be sure to let your planned victim know in advance, and dont forget to spell out exactly what you intend to do to them. If you dont, you could end up being slapped with a jail sentence for trespassing and property theft.