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15 of the World’s Craziest Laws

by Anne Lyken Garner in Law, February 16, 2008

A collection of some strange and absurd laws that exist in different parts of the world.

  1. If you were posting a letter in England and by accident put the stamp (with the picture of the Queen) up side-down, you’d be committing an act of treason.
  2. In Arkansas, a man is legally allowed to beat his wife only once a month.
  3. In Florida it is forbidden for any woman to parachute on Sunday afternoons unless she is married.
  4. In France you could be put in prison for naming a pig Napoleon.

  5. In Iowa, it is forbidden for any kiss to last more than 5 minutes.
  6. In Nova Scotia, Canada, you’re not allowed to water your lawn when it is raining.
  7. In England, committing suicide is punishable by death.
  8. In Denmark one is not allowed to start a car if someone is under the vehicle.
  9. In Alabama it is against the law for a person to drive whilst blindfolded.
  10. In Israel it is illegal to pick your nose on a Saturday.
  11. In Saudi Arabia, it is forbidden for a woman to drive a car. (They must have the world’s safest roads then).
  12. In Singapore, if you are caught littering three times, you’re made to clean the streets on Sundays wearing a banner that says, “I am a litter bug.” A picture of you is then put on the local news. (I like this law very much).

  13. In Indonesia you could be decapitated if found masturbating. (Mum was right then, you could go blind. Sorry I couldn’t resist it.)
  14. In Korea, it is illegal to eat stray cats.(That’s why I always go for the neighbour’s pet.)
  15. In Bahrain, it is illegal for a male doctor to look at a woman’s genitals at an examination. “How can he examine her then?”, I hear you ask. Well, he can only look at her private bits in a mirror. (But don’t mirrors show your reflection back to front?)
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User Comments

  1. IcyCucky

    On February 16, 2008 at 2:13 pm


    It is truly very crazy laws!
    They have somewhat twisted humor in them too..

  2. jordan martini:)

    On February 16, 2008 at 2:43 pm


    Being a homosexual, i do not like this article or any of these laws. They seem sexist against gays and women such as Queen Elizabeth.

  3. Moses Ingram

    On February 16, 2008 at 3:21 pm


    Thanks for a good laugh. I’m sure a lot of these laws are not enforced anymore, at least not in the western world.

  4. quiet voice

    On February 16, 2008 at 5:43 pm


    …very, very funny. Remind me to
    stay out of Arkansas and Iowa.
    Good job!

  5. Judy Sheldon

    On February 16, 2008 at 6:01 pm


    I remember hearing some crazy laws while living in New York. Some of these laws are as old as the hills, and are no longer enforced. I remember seeing signs “NO SPITTING” posted every where, but I believe they were removed. There is a blatant disregard for laws which have significance, so why enforce those which have little or none?

    Interesting article.

  6. Liane Schmidt

    On February 16, 2008 at 6:07 pm


    What a world…

    Great article.

    Best wishes.

    Sincerely,

    -Liane Schmidt.

  7. valli

    On February 16, 2008 at 8:11 pm


    Very crazy laws.

  8. Alexa Gates

    On February 16, 2008 at 9:06 pm


    where do they come up with these laws?

  9. sarah

    On February 16, 2008 at 9:39 pm


    well…usually laws happen when bad things happen….where I live I can’t have a bloody topstove!!!!!!!

    “In Nova Scotia, Canada, you’re not allowed to water your lawn when it is raining.”

    I know people who are wasteful so that one isn’t actually that stupid…

  10. Freddy

    On February 16, 2008 at 10:55 pm


    “In Nova Scotia, Canada, you’re not allowed to water your lawn when it is raining.”

    “In Denmark one is not allowed to start a car if someone is under the vehicle.”

    If these are really laws, they actually seem pretty logical. People shouldn’t waste water, and would you want to be under a car while it’s being started? I know I wouldn’t…

    FreddyDuarte.com

  11. krigjsman

    On February 17, 2008 at 2:17 am


    first critic: I never heard the law about masturbating in Indonesia.
    second critic: There is no decapitation in Indonesian law.

    I think you are wrong about this one

  12. MAS

    On February 17, 2008 at 5:48 am


    In Saudi Arabia, it is forbidden for a woman to drive a car. (They must have the world’s safest roads then).

    The true irony is that Saudi Arabia has one of the highest road accident rates in the world.

    Also the one about Indonesia is probably not true.

  13. ar-lock

    On February 17, 2008 at 12:21 pm


    these are not the craziest laws, obscure, unenforced maybe.

    what about countries that put you in jail for non-violent offences?

    hell 99% of normals laws are crazier than these ones..

  14. Nick Kenney

    On February 17, 2008 at 6:56 pm


    Great article Anne. There’s a law still on the books in Amarillo, Texas that it’s against the law to carry an ice-cream cone in the pocket of your pants! Dunno why not…

  15. louie jerome

    On February 18, 2008 at 10:52 am


    Hilarious but as Icy says, a bit twisted….errr…not you…the laws!

  16. Tim W

    On February 18, 2008 at 11:18 am


    Numbers 1 and 7 are not real laws. Number 1 is just an urban myth made up for a ludicrous law poll and number 7 was originally just a joke.

  17. VonZeppelin

    On February 19, 2008 at 1:08 pm


    “In England, committing suicide is punishable by death.”

    Since 1999, no law in Great Britain has had the death penalty as a punishment. Like Tim W said – you’re just been sensationalist. There are plenty of _legitimate_ crazy laws out there son…

  18. Samuel Z Jones

    On February 19, 2008 at 4:23 pm


    There are still offences in the UK that carry the death penalty, we just don’t actually do it anymore. It is, for example, the duty of every citizen of York to shoot dead with a longbow any Welshman (or possibly Scotsman) seen within town limits after dark. You can also theoretically be executed for piracy, treason and calling Jesus a poof.

  19. Darlene McFarlane

    On February 19, 2008 at 10:24 pm


    Great article Anne! I enjoyed reading it and had to laugh at a couple. I will have to remember these when I travel.

  20. Dee Huff

    On February 20, 2008 at 3:29 am


    Anne, you’ve certainly started a debate. I must admit that I thought all laws that called for the death penalty had been repealed, but maybe they did overlook the occasional ‘duty’ of citizens to shoot dead Welsh or Scots men (what about women?) within York after dark. I wonder if it would stand up in a court of law? Some of those laws actually make sense in a strange sort of way, but others… well, I’d love to know why they were originally created.

  21. ET Barton

    On February 20, 2008 at 10:44 pm


    Hey Anne,

    Excellent article. But what’s with the bit about women drivers? You’re supposed to be on OUR side, not against it. :D

  22. Anne Lyken-Garner

    On February 21, 2008 at 3:58 am


    Thanks for all the comments everyone.

    ET, as you know, I can’t help but include a bit of dry humour in many of my articles. And as this one is not serious or literary, I thought why not. I’m just being a bit naughty that’s all.

    Someone gave this article a thumbs down on StumbleUpon citing that very sentence. That person obviously didn’t notice that I (the writer) was female nor was able to work out that I was being sarcastic.

    These and the other laws which commentors have told us about here, all exist or have existed (and are still on the law books, though not practised) at one time. This article is just meant to bring a smile. I wanted to include that one about shooting Welshmen but I love the Welsh too much…

  23. Tarra B.

    On February 26, 2008 at 1:05 am


    great article, I enjoyed it!

  24. Martin J

    On March 11, 2008 at 6:39 pm


    Attempted suicide in the UK has never been punishable by death – it did carry a prison sentence until the 1961 Suicide Act repealed the law. I will however be extra vigilant in future when fixing stamps to letters!

  25. namesake

    On March 15, 2008 at 8:32 pm


    Great article, I needed a chuckle as I come up for air from promoting my content! KUTGW (keep up the good work)

  26. Happy

    On April 5, 2008 at 9:21 am


    \”In Singapore, if you are caught littering three times, you’re made to clean the streets on Sundays wearing a banner that says, “I am a litter bug.” A picture of you is then put on the local news.\”- I love it! They should have a law like this in North America! Lol, I love that law. What if you litter in your home? Or your bathtub? Does that count?

  27. Rainie Yang

    On April 19, 2008 at 6:51 pm


    15 is funny

  28. Cj

    On April 20, 2008 at 6:52 am


    They sure have a lot of time to play around, Or is it maybe they just wanted to fill their constitution will laws or something?

  29. loopy.

    On April 27, 2008 at 12:57 am


    haha some of these are a crack up!

    u shud of added the one bout Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered “simple assault,” but biting someone with your dentures is “aggravated assault.” hahahahaha.

  30. Anne Lyken-Garner

    On April 30, 2008 at 10:39 am


    Thanks everyone for your additions, it’s bizarre that these laws (both in the article and the ones you’ve told us) even got written down.

  31. Evelyn Cohen

    On April 30, 2008 at 10:54 am


    ha ha ha there funi ! :)

  32. Kristen Chervenka

    On May 17, 2008 at 11:08 am


    In Wisconsin it’s illegal to own frosted flakes.

  33. Random Guy

    On June 25, 2008 at 4:26 pm


    Crazy laws… wonder who thinks of them?

    Also in England there is still an old law that states Pregnant Women if caught short are legally allowed to pee pee in a Policemans Helmet.

  34. earane

    On October 28, 2008 at 8:36 am


    its verry cool liked it verry mutch!!! you need to make a nother one!
    hehe and i dont need to watch the stamp here in the Netherlands the don’t do that.

    :D

  35. leonil

    On February 26, 2009 at 6:14 am


    very funny laws… thanks God,i didnt caught by the indonesian govt…

  36. Joanna Kristi

    On March 2, 2009 at 9:11 am


    “In Indonesia
    you could be decapitated if found masturbating. (Mum was right then, you could go blind. Sorry I couldn’t resist it.) “

    Can you give me the proof of your statement above?
    I’m Indonesian citizen, and we do not have that kind of law.
    And I have never seen that kind of decapitation in the society.

    Regards,
    Joanna Kristi

  37. fennie

    On March 23, 2009 at 2:54 pm


    CRAZY CRAZY laws I have ever heard of!!!!!

  38. Radamel

    On November 21, 2010 at 12:07 pm


    Here is my article about lemon law..

    Have a nice read..

    http://socyberty.com/law/usa-law-system-what-is-the-lemon-law/

  39. Bruce Officer

    On November 26, 2010 at 8:09 pm


    Even if the first one was true (it’s not) the simple defence is that the stamp IS the right way up – it’s just the address and envelope that are the wrong way up! ;–P

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