If you’re visiting Oregon or New Jersey for the first time, you might do a double-take if you pull into a gas station. The locals wouldn’t think that anything was amiss, but an out-of-towner would certainly notice a difference. That’s because it’s illegal in these two states to pump your own gas.
Every state and many towns have odd laws on the books. In some instances, these make sense if you do a little digging. New Jersey and Oregon’s laws against pumping your own gas took root back when self-service gas stations were a novelty. Allowing motorists to pump their own gas would potentially put a lot of gas station employees out of work, and presented some safety hazards. But if you live in one of the other 48 states, it’s a law that might leave you scratching your head.
For your amusement today, here are some other strange laws that are on the books around the country.
In Toledo, Ohio, it’s illegal to park on an unpaved surface–including your own driveway!
It is illegal to swear at a firefighter in New Orleans while he is working.
In Cerritos, California, people are required to remove dog droppings from their yard within seven days.
In Auburn, Alabama, it is illegal to spit on the floor of a church.
Acworth, Georgia legally requires all citizens to own a rake.
If you curse in the presence of two or more people in public in Mississippi, you can be fined $100 or be jailed for 30 days.
It is illegal to get married in Nebraska if you have a sexually transmitted disease.
Reno, Nevada makes it illegal to lie down on sidewalks.
Children under the age of 10 may not be in a cemetery alone in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Handcuffs can’t be sold to children under the age of 18 in New Jersey.
"Idiots" are specifically banned from voting in New Mexico.
You cannot be arrested on a Sunday or on the Fourth of July in Ohio.
You must obtain a permit before firing a missile in South Carolina.
It is illegal to place tacks, glass or nails on the highway in Tennessee.
You cannot buy or sell body parts in Texas.
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