25 Crazy Laws That Really Do Exist

1.

Women have been legally allowed to go topless in public in New York City since 1992.

2.

In Wisconsin, children are legally allowed to drink alcohol in bars and restaurants or at home as long as they are with a parent or guardian.

3.

A pint of draught beer sold in Canada must by law be an imperial pint of 568 milliliters, ~20% larger than a US customary pint.

4.

The Page Act of 1875 barred entry of Asian immigrants suspected of entering the US involuntarily or for sex work. In practice, the law targeted Chinese women by appealing to a common stereotype that they were prostitutes and dangerous to the institution of marriage.

5.

In the United States, direct manufacturer auto sales are prohibited in almost every state by franchise laws requiring that new cars be sold only by dealers.

6.

Public blasphemy and swearing are illegal in Michigan.

7.

Canadian radio stations are required by law to play Canadian artists on the airwaves at least 35% of the time.

8.

In the late 1800s, religious activist and U.S. Postal Inspector Anthony Comstock destroyed more than 30,000 pounds of books, and influenced Congress to ban the sale of "obscene" books. The resulting law was so broadly applied that some medical textbooks became illegal.

9.

A defendant on trial in France is prohibited from being heard under oath. As a result, "a suspect may say whatever he feels fit for his defense, without fear of sanction for perjury."

10.

The IDEA act and other laws for accommodating and integrating disabled children at public schools are a direct result of racial integration precedents set by the Civil Rights Movement.

11.

Today I learned of the Michigan Bounty/Scanner Law: If the displayed price is different than the price at the register, you are entitled to receive the difference plus additional compensation ("bonus") of ten times the difference. The bonus must be at least $1.00, but it may not be more than $5.00.

12.

Firecrackers were banned in Canada 50 years ago when some kids died in a tent fire.

13.

It wasn't until 2018 that breastfeading in public became legal in all 50 states. Before that, public indecency laws still applied in some states.

14.

19 U.S. States have "Right to Dry" laws, overriding city and HOA bans on outdoor clotheslines.

15.

In France it is illegal to disinherit one’s children, meaning that a particular share of the deceased’s estate is legally required to be kept for their children.

16.

Kanye West's mother, Donda, has a law named after her known as 'Donda West law' that requires patients to have a physical examination before cosmetic surgery. Donda West unfortunately passed away from heart problems one day after her surgery.

17.

Building codes have been around as far back as 2200BC, in the Old Babylonian Empire. Whereby one of several laws dictates.. 'If it [building failure] causes the death of a son of the owner - a son of that builder shall be put to death.'

18.

Mississippi did not make child-selling illegal until 2009, after a woman tried to sell her granddaughter for $2,000 and a car and it was discovered that there was no law to punish her under.

19.

Most US commercial radio stations east of the Mississippi river start with the letter 'W' and west start with the letter 'K'. By law, these call signs must be announced at every top of the hour.

20.

Numerous breweries have made their own version of The Simpsons' Duff Beer. The results of these knockoffs has been lawsuits, destruction of merchandise, and the censorship of Duff on The Simpsons in France due to alcohol advertising laws.

21.

Some states have "Dead red" laws, which, if you're on a motorcycle or moped that is too light or not large enough to trip the sensor that changes the light from red to green, you're legally allowed to run the red light after waiting a reasonable amount of time.

22.

Three states, Iowa, Illinois, and New Hampshire have no motorcycle helmet laws. Also 29 states only have an age requirement, the highest of which applies to people under the age of 25.

23.

In Tibet, it's traditional for a woman to be married to multiple husbands who were usually all brothers in order to keep the land within the same family under inheritance laws. The practice was technically outlawed in 1981 but has no penalties and isn't prosecuted.

24.

Disney World is legally allowed to build a nuclear plant in Florida under a 1960s law.

25.

New Hampshire is the only state with no adult seatbelt laws. Seatbelts are only required for minors ages 17 and under in that state. According to 2017 data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, it also had the lowest percentage of seatbelt useage among the 50 states, at just 67.6%.