Crazy State Laws? A Comical Collection of the Strangest Regulations Across America

One of the things that fascinates me about America is how each state functions almost like its own mini-country. Different tax rules, different speed limits, different regulations — and apparently, some very different ideas about what needed to be made illegal at some point in history.

A friend told me about some of these weird state laws over dinner one evening, and I thought he was making them up. He was not. I went down a rabbit hole, and what I found was both hilarious and deeply confusing. As someone who grew up in Vietnam (where the legal system is, let us say, less granular about specific donut-eating scenarios), these laws are a window into a very particular kind of American creativity. :P

Fair warning: these are laws that Americans have told me about over dinners, at barbecues, and at the office. I have done some Googling to verify, but I cannot guarantee they are all still on the books — some may have been repealed or were urban legends to begin with. If I have been pranked by my American friends, well, it would not be the first time.

No Backward Donut Walking — Marion, Ohio

In Marion, Ohio, it is reportedly illegal to eat a donut while walking backward on a city street. I have so many questions. Was there a rash of backward-walking donut eaters causing public disturbances? Was there a specific incident that prompted this legislation? I would love to have been in that city council meeting. "Gentlemen, we have a donut problem." :D

No Bear Wrestling — Alabama

In Alabama, it is illegal to wrestle a bear. Now, this one actually makes sense once you read the history. Bear wrestling was apparently a real form of entertainment at one point, and the 2006 Alabama code put an end to it. In Vietnam, we have water buffalo fighting festivals — which, now that I think about it, is not that far off. But at least no one is getting into the ring themselves.

The Bounce Test — Connecticut

In Connecticut, a certain brined cucumber cannot legally be called by its proper name unless it bounces. Yes, you read that correctly. Connecticut has quality standards for brined cucumbers, and those standards involve a bounce test. I showed this to my Vietnamese mom (who brines vegetables all the time) and she just stared at me. "Americans are very serious about their fermented cucumbers," I told her. She was not convinced.

No Camels on the Highway — Nevada

In Nevada, it is illegal to drive a camel on the highway. This actually has a historical explanation — camels were used as pack animals in the American Southwest in the 1800s. The law is a relic from that era, but as far as I know, nobody has bothered to repeal it. Just in case you were planning to commute by camel in Las Vegas, consider yourself warned.

Leave Bigfoot Alone — Washington State

In Washington, it is illegal to harass Bigfoot, Sasquatch, or any other undiscovered species. I love this law because it means the state of Washington has, at some level, officially acknowledged the possible existence of Bigfoot. As an expat from a country where we have our own mythical creatures (look up the Vietnamese "con ma" folklore sometime), I appreciate the precautionary approach. :)

Do Not Touch the Cactus — Arizona

In Arizona, it is a felony to cut down a saguaro cactus. These iconic desert plants can live for over 150 years, and this law actually makes complete sense to me. After seeing saguaros in person on our road trip to the Grand Canyon, I understand the protectiveness. They are genuinely magnificent. If anyone deserves legal protection in the desert, it is the cactus that has been standing there since before your grandparents were born.

My Takeaway

I think what I love about these laws is what they reveal: every weird law has a story behind it. Someone, somewhere, did something bizarre enough that a group of people sat down and said, "We need a law about this." It is a very American thing — this belief that if there is a problem, the solution is regulation, no matter how specific or absurd the problem might be.

Coming from Vietnam, where laws tend to be broader and enforcement is more... flexible, the specificity of American legislation is both impressive and entertaining. A law specifically about brined cucumber bounce standards? That is a level of regulatory detail that I find genuinely charming.

Have you come across any weird laws in your state? I would love to build a bigger collection of these.

Cheers,

Chandler