20 Bizarre Laws You Won’t Believe Exist in Your Country

Now, we all know that laws are meant to keep society in check, maintain order, and ensure everyone behaves reasonably. But sometimes, the legal system takes a detour into the Twilight Zone, leaving us scratching our heads and wondering about some of the bizarre laws in place.  

One person asked, “Tell me a weird law from your country/state.” This received thousands of comments, and we have listed the most unusual ones for you!

1. Underwater Whistling 

A discerning Reddit user commented, “Here in West Virginia, it’s illegal to whistle underwater. I broke the law the last time I went swimming.”

Another replied, “LOL, how does a law like that even get written, what is it intended to stop people from drowning?”

You might be thinking, “What’s the harm in whistling underwater?” That’s precisely the question that leaves us scratching our heads. While some laws have clear and practical reasons behind them, others are shrouded in mystery or relics from a time when nobody knows why they existed.

2. Oranges in Bath

A Reddit user wrote, “You can’t eat an orange in the bath.”

Another added, “The law came about in California in the 1920s as what was believed to be a matter of public safety. At the time, people believed that the citric acid would mix with bath oils and cause explosions in the pipes.”

Perhaps lawmakers were concerned about slippery peels causing accidents in the bathtub? Or maybe they thought that enjoying a citrus treat in the bath was too extravagant for California’s own good. We may never know for sure.

3. Putting Squirrels in Your Pants

A user shared, “In Springfield, it is illegal to put squirrels down your pants for the purpose of gambling.”

Another pitched in to say, “And if it’s for pleasure, it’s okay, just not gambling.”

The “squirrel-down-the-pants” law is rumored to have originated in the United Kingdom. Do you know any other weird laws from the UK?

4. The Happy Birthday Song

Warner Music claimed to own the copyright to “Happy Birthday to You,” which meant that anyone who wanted to use it in a commercial setting, like a restaurant or a movie, had to pay up!

One said, “It is technically illegal to sing Happy Birthday at a birthday party as it is copyrighted.”

Another replied, “Wait…I gotta ask. In the States, if something was copyrighted (of which this song is no longer), you can’t air it or profit off of it in any way. Would it be illegal to sing it, or would it be illegal to broadcast/distribute you singing it?”

5. Armor Suits

A Reddit user wrote, “MP’s are not allowed to wear a suit of armor whilst inside Parliament. It was outlawed in 1313.”

Another replied, “”Santz tote force & saunz armes, bien & piesiblement” is the relevant part. My Norman French is not great (not needed at law school nowadays), but my Romance language specialist friend tells me that he agrees with this.”

Nevertheless, the ban on MPs wearing armor in Parliament stands as a quirky reminder of the ever-evolving nature of legal systems.

6. Adult Toys

A discerning Reddit user commented, “I’m Colombian, and I had no idea we had that law. But to contribute: owning more than 6 intimate toys is illegal in Texas.”

Another added, “I live in Texas and actually knew about this one. My made-up origin story is that if you had one for every day of the week, you needed to resist your urges on Sunday, the Lord’s Day. It’s totally believable that we would make up some silly rules based on religion to infringe on people’s intimate lives.”

Maybe someone, somewhere, decided that more than six intimate toys equate to excessive pleasure, and we can’t have that now, can we?

7. 33 Cents Sandwich

One said, “A falafel sandwich is 100 fils which is around 33 cents. This is a law. Purpose: Everyone should afford to have something to eat.”

Another pitched in to say, “The problem is, in America, such a law might just mean that restaurants would refuse to serve/provide that particular food item because it’s nonprofitable.”

No matter how weird this law is, it allows the poor to have an affordable meal!

8. Lost Items

A user shared, “Austria: If you find something, for example, a suitcase full of money, and you inform the police, the police will look for the right owner for a year, but if they don’t find them in that year, the money or whatever it is you found is all yours. And yes, this has happened with a suitcase of money, that’s why I chose this as an example.

Another replied, “At an outlet mall near my city, I found a $100 bill on the ground. Dad said we had to turn it in to the security office because “it was the right thing to do, even though you’ll probably never see that money again.” So we turned it in and then forgot about it. 

90 days later, Mom gets a phone call from mall security, and they want to talk to me. Weird, but okay. The security guy explains what it’s about and that no one ever came to claim the money, so it’s mine. I think I was like 10 years old at the time (early 1990’s). 

We go pick up the money, and Dad says I can spend it on whatever I want. I marched us straight to the toy store at the far end of the mall and proceeded to buy approximately $100 worth of GI Joe figures/vehicles. I’m almost 40 now, and I still vividly remember this, and inviting my friends over to play when we got home.”

Now, you might be wondering why the law would allow this. Well, the concept of finders-keepers has roots in a legal principle called “finders’ rights” or “the law of finders.”

9. Self-Pump Gas Stations

One said, “In New Jersey, it is illegal for a patron to pump their own gas. Police will actually issue fines to drivers who pump their own gas. There are no self-service pumps in New Jersey.”

Another added, “In the UK, I have been to exactly one serviced petrol station in my life. And the woman was busy, so I still had to do it myself; it seems so bizarre to me to have somebody do it for you.”

While some strange laws can be traced back to safety concerns or historic practices, this one often falls into the “it’s just the way things are” category.

10. Dead Chicken 

A Reddit user wrote, “If your neighbor’s dog kills your chickens, they have to pay you $5 per chicken. “

Another replied, “They def need to adjust that for inflation. The going rate of a laying hen, which isn’t a fancy Breed, is $25 now. I have some chickens for which I paid $25 for the CHICK let alone feed to grow them out. They’d have to cash me at civil court fr.”

The idea behind this law is simple: if your neighbor’s dog causes damage or harm to your property, including your chickens, then they’re responsible for compensating you for the losses incurred. The five-dollar-per-chicken rule might seem arbitrary, but it’s an attempt to provide a fair and straightforward way to assess damages.

11. Spitting in Air

One said, “It’s illegal to spit into the wind here.”

Another person pitched in to say, “Gonna go there and spit into the wind in private so I can tell people I broke the same law 24 times.”

Spitting into the wind, you see, is generally considered a poor idea for obvious reasons. When you do it, the wind is likely to blow the saliva right back into your face, which is plain disgusting!

12. Flipping Coins for Coffee Bills

A user shared, “Illegal to flip a coin to decide who pays for coffee.”

Another added, “It’s hard to believe that flipping a coin to decide who picks up the coffee tab could be illegal anywhere.”

Of course, this law isn’t universally enforced, and different places have different rules about this quirky coffee conundrum.

13. Washing Mules on Sidewalks

A discerning Reddit user commented, “Illegal to wash a mule on the sidewalk.”

Another replied, “Sounds like a quirky and seemingly unnecessary law. Who would wash it there, and why is it such a problem?”

Have you ever seen someone washing mules on the sidewalks or even heard about it? Because this is one strange law.

14. Spitting on Seagulls

A Reddit user wrote, “Illegal to spit on a seagull.”

Another person pitched in to say, “Ah, ik it’s weird, but anything for defense against animal cruelty. Keeps them from abusing animals.” 

Yes, you read it correctly- spitting on a seagull in some places is illegal. No, it’s not a bird-brained idea; it’s a real, legal concept.

15. Tickling a Woman

Back in the day, laws were made for all sorts of reasons, some downright silly. And they often reflected the social norms of the time. Maybe, back then, people thought tickling was scandalous or something. Who knows? People were wild back then. 

A user shared, “In Virginia, it’s illegal to tickle a woman. Men are okay, though.”

Another added, “must be from the early 1900s where women were considered a delicacy, and men were all tough buff.”

16. Drug Distribution

Now, we get it: drugs can be a real problem, and governments want to crack down on them. But execution? Isn’t that too much? One said, “A person might get executed for distributing drugs in Iran.”

Another replied, “Depending on the drug, they deserve it. Keeps people from dealing drugs, tho.”

17. Stealing a Sheep

A user shared, “The death penalty is abolished, but there is still a law you can be hanged for stealing a sheep in my country.”

One responded, “Scotland, sheeps are fun and food, and the wool. Wool was a major commodity back in the day and made a fortune.”

Stealing a sheep might not be cool, but it’s definitely not worth taking a life over.

18. Cheating On Your Spouse 

Many people don’t believe this, but there’s actually a law out there that says if you catch your spouse getting busy with someone else, you can straight-up kill them and get away with it. 

A Reddit user wrote, “Any legally married person who has surprised his spouse in the act of committing intercourse with another person shall kill any of them or both of them in the act or immediately thereafter”

Another person pitched in to say, “Philippines: Article 247 Penal Code of the Philippines. Sounds fair to me, honestly.” 

19. Killing a Sasquatch

The legend of Bigfoot is mysterious and intriguing, but making it murder? That’s a whole new level of strange. A discerning Reddit user commented, “Killing a Sasquatch is murder.”

Another replied, “Yes, but the law is sorta of redundant because if you manage to kill a sasquatch, their tribe will hunt you down and feast on your remains. They’re mean folks.”

20. Eggs

One said, “Government officials can stop your car to search for eggs.”

Another added, “Coming from Ireland. It was just a reason for some Minister guy who made the law to take the eggs from any vehicle used for the conveyance, transportation, importation, or exportation of goods, which is nearly every single vehicle that exists today.”

Why do you think officials wanted to search for eggs? Scarcity of eggs or an undercover egg smuggling operation?

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