Is That Really a Law?

Try buying a car on Sunday in Minnesota or hunting Bigfoot in Washington State and you could face jail or fines. Well, at least in theory. Many odd-sounding laws, some more than a century old, remain on the books around the United States today. Some are actually null (they have no legal or binding force) because they’re so old and no longer serve any purpose or are unconstitutional by today’s standards. But no matter how weird they sound to us, these laws often made sense, at least to some people, when they were passed. Here are some of the unusual laws we found around the U.S.

There are many odd-sounding laws, some more than a one hundred old, around the United States today. You could face jail or fines if you tried to buy a car on Sunday in Minnesota or if you hunted Bigfoot in Washington State. However, some of the laws have no legal or binding force because they’re so old. They are null because they no longer serve any purpose, or they are unconstitutional by today’s standards. Even though they sound weird to us today, these laws often made sense, at least to some people, when they were passed. Here are some of the unusual laws we found around the U.S.

Thinking of sending a surprise pizza to your friend in New Orleans? Better hold the pepperoni! Since 1999, Louisiana has made it illegal to send unsolicited pizzas, with fines as high as $500. The edict is part of a larger law designed to stop prank orders and unauthorized delivery of goods or services. The reason behind the law? What seems like a harmless joke or even a helpful gesture could leave the recipient stuck with a bill they didn’t ask for, lawmakers have said, especially if it’s a cash-on-delivery order. So while sending a pizza to someone else might seem innocuous enough, it’s legally viewed as coercion or fraudin Louisiana and it could backfire, turning a cheesy surprise into a legal headache for everyone involved.

Do you want to send a surprise pizza to your friend in New Orleans? Better hold the pepperoni! Since 1999, Louisiana has made it illegal to send unsolicited pizzas. The fines are as high as $500. It is part of a larger law designed to stop prank orders and unauthorized delivery of goods or services. The reason behind the law? What seems like a harmless joke or even a helpful gesture could leave the recipient stuck with a bill. Lawmakers were concerned that people would have to pay for something they didn’t ask for, especially if it’s a cash-on-delivery order. While sending a pizza to someone else might seem innocent, it’s legally viewed as coercion or fraud in Louisiana. It can turn sending a cheesy surprise into a legal headache for everyone involved.

How do you say Arkansas? You better know before you visit the state. An 1881 resolution that’s still on the books says the final s in “Arkansas” should be silent. In short, don’t pronounce it “Ahr-KAN-zuhss,” like the state of Kansas. The controversy dates back to 1673, when French explorers first met the Indigenous people of the area. The French took an Indigenous word for the people of one local tribe, Akansa, and made it plural with a silent s at the end, as is common in French. Even when Congress created the Territory of “Arkansaw” in 1819, confusion over how to pronounce it persisted. (It didn’t help that Kansas, which got its name from a related Indigenous tribe, looks so similar but gets a hard s.) Finally, the Arkansas state legislature stepped in to settle the issue. Says Arkansas historian Michael Dougan: “It’s a matter of honor that the name of the state be pronounced correctly.”

How do you say Arkansas? You better know before you visit the state. There is an 1881 resolution that’s still on the books; it says the final s in “Arkansas” should be silent. In short, don’t pronounce it “Ahr-KAN-zuhss,” like the state of Kansas. The controversy dates back to 1673. That’s when French explorers first met the Indigenous people of the area. The French took an Indigenous word from one local tribe, Akansa, and made it plural with a silent s at the end. (This is common in French.) Even when Congress created the Territory of “Arkansaw” in 1819, confusion over how to pronounce it continued. (It didn’t help that Kansas got its name from a related Indigenous tribe. It looks so similar but gets a hard s.) Finally, the Arkansas state legislature stepped in to settle the issue. Says Arkansas historian Michael Dougan: “It’s a matter of honor that the name of the state be pronounced correctly.”

Hunting Bigfoot, the mythical ape-man also known as Sasquatch, is strictly off-limits in two Washington State counties. In 1992, Whatcom County declared itself a Sasquatch refuge and protection area. According to lawmakers, if Bigfoot did exist, it would be endangered and need protection. The law is also meant to prevent hunters from accidentally shooting people mistaken for the giant creature, whose legend dates back to early Native American tribes. But if you do manage to kill the real Bigfoot, just make sure it doesn’t happen down in Skamania County. Since 1969, that county has also had a Sasquatch protection ordinance: Bigfoot’s killer faces a $1,000 fine and up to one year in prison.

Hunting Bigfoot, the mythical ape-man also known as Sasquatch, is forbidden in two Washington State counties. In 1992, Whatcom County declared itself a Sasquatch refuge and protection area. According to lawmakers, if Bigfoot did exist, it would be endangered. It would need protection. The law is also meant to prevent hunters from accidentally shooting people mistaken for the giant creature. The legend of Bigfoot dates to early Native American tribes. If you do manage to kill the real Bigfoot, make sure it doesn’t happen in Skamania County. The county has also had a Sasquatch protection ordinance since 1969. Bigfoot’s killer faces a $1,000 fine and up to one year in prison.

Hosting a big party at a public venue in Massachusetts? Make sure you don’t play or perform the national anthem in a way that makes your guests feel the beat. A state law bans rendering “The Star-Spangled Banner” as dance music—or playing or singing less than the entire song—in public. Violators could get slapped with a $100 fine. The state passed the law in 1917, during World War I (1914-18) when patriotic feelings ran high. Though “The Star-Spangled Banner” didn’t become the national anthem until 1931, it was already widely used at public events. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered it to be played at military occasions, and starting in 1918, fans began hearing it at baseball games. Experts say the law can’t be enforced today because it violates the First Amendment. “It’s basically requiring citizens to show respect for the national anthem,” says Dwight Duncan, a law professor at the University of Massachusetts. “That goes too far under freedom of speech.”

Hosting a big party at a public venue in Massachusetts? Make sure you don’t play or perform the national anthem in a way that makes your guests want to dance. A state law bans playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” as dance music. It also bans playing or singing less than the entire song in public. Violators could get fined $100. The state passed the law in 1917, during World War I (1914-18) when patriotic feelings ran high. “The Star-Spangled Banner” didn’t become the national anthem until 1931. But it was already widely used at public events. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson ordered it to be played at military occasions. Fans began hearing it at baseball games in 1918. According to experts, the law can’t be enforced today because it violates the First Amendment. “It’s basically requiring citizens to show respect for the national anthem,” says Dwight Duncan, a law professor at the University of Massachusetts. “That goes too far under freedom of speech.”

Need some new wheels? If you’re in Minnesota, don’t try buying a car if it’s Sunday. You could wind up in jail for 90 days or face a fine of up to $1,000. A 1957 law bans the sale of new or used vehicles on Sundays. Laws that bar certain acts on Sundays are called blue laws. Originating with Puritans in 17th-century Connecticut, they’re based on the belief that Americans should set Sunday aside for church and rest. (The origin of the term is unknown, but it may come from the disparaging use of the word blue to mean “rigidly moral” in the 1700s.) State and local governments have eased many blue laws over the years, but in Minnesota—and 12 other states—buying a car is still a no-no on Sundays. Some say these laws don’t make sense today, but many auto dealers support them. The laws guarantee them a day off when they don’t have to worry about losing business to competition. As Scott Lambert of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association once told the Minnesota Star Tribune: “I cannot find a constituency that wants the law removed.”

Need some new wheels? If you’re in Minnesota, don’t try buying a car if it’s Sunday. You could wind up in jail for 90 days or face a fine of up to $1,000. A 1957 law bans the sale of new or used vehicles on Sundays. Laws that prohibit certain acts on Sundays are called blue laws. The Puritans in 17th-century Connecticut started the practice. Blue laws are based on the belief that Americans should set Sunday aside for church and rest. (The origin of the term blue law is unknown. It may come from the use of the word blue to mean “rigidly moral” in the 1700s.) State and local governments have eased many blue laws over the years. But in Minnesota—and 12 other states—buying a car is still not allowed on Sundays. Some say these laws don’t make sense today. But many auto dealers support them. The laws guarantee them a day off when they don’t have to worry about losing business to competition. As Scott Lambert of the Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association once told the Minnesota Star Tribune: “I cannot find a constituency that wants the law removed.”

With reporting by Lucia De Stefani.

With reporting by Lucia De Stefani.