15 Outrageous US laws you won't believe still exist in 2025

Wild and wacky laws all over the US

From donkeys in bathtubs to giraffes tied to fire hydrants, the subjects of strange laws all over the US seem to beg the question, “Is that really necessary?”

However, regardless of how niche the circumstances these laws seek to prevent may appear, these 15 outlandish pieces of legislation are still in place across the country.

Click or scroll to discover America's strangest laws...

1. Alaska: If you give a moose a cocktail...

If you were planning on making the local moose your next drinking buddy, think again, because in Fairbanks, Alaska, it’s illegal to give a moose an alcoholic beverage.

Apparently, the origins of the law are tied to a tavern owner who once kept a pet moose and would often get it drunk to entertain his customers. It’s also illegal to push a moose out of a moving aeroplane in Alaska, but that’s another story…

2. Connecticut: bad breath be gone

It’s illegal to eat raw onions while walking down the street in Northfield, Connecticut. Sure, onions aren’t the most socially acceptable snack to be seen chowing down on in public, but do they really need to be made illegal?

The law definitely suggests some quirky origin story may be lurking behind it, but we have no idea what it is…

3. Oregon: no smelly sermons

In a variation on the onion theme, in Marion County, Oregon, it’s illegal for preachers to eat either onions or garlic before giving a sermon.

This one arguably makes a bit more sense. Nobody wants to be sitting in the front pew, unable to escape that Sunday’s particularly smelly sermon, but Marion County makes this common courtesy legally enforceable!

4. Texas: the onion curfew

One last quirky onion law. In Nacodoches, Texas, young women are not permitted to eat raw onions after 6 pm. Now, if this 'onion curfew' is ever enforced, who exactly qualifies as 'young'?

And as for why women are deemed less appropriate late-night-onion-eaters than men…we have no idea.

5. Georgia: free the giraffes

This one might be our favourite. In the city of Atlanta in the great state of Georgia, it’s illegal to tie your giraffe to a lamppost or telephone pole.

While leash laws are definitely important, just how many giraffes are running rampant through the streets of Atlanta, and where are you supposed to tie them up if not a telephone pole? What else is tall enough?

6. Nevada: camel-free zone

While it’s a common misconception that just about everything is legal in Vegas, the things that explicitly aren’t may surprise you.

For example, in Las Vegas, Nevada, you are forbidden from riding a camel on the highway, and unlike some of the other wacky laws we’ve looked at, we actually know why.

In the 1800s, camels were introduced to Nevada as part of an army experiment to breed them as pack animals. Guess it didn’t take…

7. Oklahoma & Ohio: don't tease the dogs

This one is just sad. Under Oklahoma law, you are never allowed to pull a silly face at a dog. In Ohio, the law is even more extreme: making any kind of face at a dog, silly or otherwise, is punishable by fines or jail time.

Takes all the fun out of petting a new pooch, really…

8. California: frogs are friends, not food

In California, it’s illegal to eat a frog if it died during a frog-jumping competition. While this law definitely begs the question, “Why on earth would such a decree be necessary?” the answer may surprise you.

Frog jumping is incredibly popular in the Sunshine State, but if one of the little guys doesn’t make it, it “must be destroyed as soon as possible,” you’re not allowed to have him as a snack.

It’s a respect thing.

9. Florida: swimsuit serenades cancelled

No swimsuit serenades in the state of Florida! This one definitely feels like a bit of a buzzkill. There’s nothing better than singing along to a good tune on a sunny beach day.

However, Florida state law specifically states that both singing while wearing a bathing suit and singing along to the radio while walking by yourself are illegal. When in doubt, just don’t sing in the Sunshine State, or you could find yourself with a hefty fine!

Liking this? Click the Like button above. And click the Follow button above for more great stories from loveMONEY

10. Arizona: donkey don'ts

Another bizarre animal-related law, in the state of Arizona, you are not allowed to have a donkey sleeping in your bathtub after 7 pm. We actually do have an explanation for this one, though.

The law was passed in 1924 after a dam broke, washing a local merchant’s bathtub, in which his donkey was inexplicably taking a nap, into the deluge.

After the donkey was rescued, the law was passed to prevent any future troublesome occurrences. And to be fair, it worked…

11. Louisiana: liscensed ladies

This one feels a bit sexist, we won’t lie. In the state of Louisiana, it is illegal for a woman to drive a car without her husband waving a flag in front of it first. However, we are pleased to report, the law is antiquated and non-enforceable.

Virginia actually has a similar law, but this only applies to a woman driving up Main Street, under which circumstances her husband is supposed to walk in front of her waving a red flag…like a one-woman parade?

12. Maine: no biting

No biting! Believe it or not, this is a law aimed at humans, not pets.

That’s right, in Rumford, Maine, no matter how irritating your landlord gets, it is illegal to bite them, under any circumstances.

We hate to imagine the horror story that resulted in this law getting passed…

13. New York: shoe shine deadline

While it may feel like an antiquated custom, shoe shining is a time-honoured tradition in New York City, particularly in large train stations like Grand Central.

However, if you’re looking to give your loafers a bit of love on a Big Apple Sunday, you’d better make sure you get it done before 1 pm, as it’s illegal to shine shoes after this time on the Lord’s day.

14. Kansas: no...knife throwing?

This one feels like it should go without saying…and also shouldn’t be quite so specific.

In Natoma, Kansas, it is illegal to throw knives at men in striped suits. Why only men, and why the striped suit specification, you may ask? We don’t know, but as a general rule, throwing knives at anybody should probably be avoided…

15. Michigan: unleash the gators

And last but not least, in the state of Michigan, it is illegal to tie an alligator or crocodile to a fire hydrant.

To be fair, it would be bad if, in an emergency, a fireman found a cranky croc in between himself and a fire hydrant, but honestly, how often could that possibly have been happening to merit legislation?

Liked this? Click the Like button above. And click the Follow button above for more great stories from loveMONEY