Status: technically enforceable
Why Is This a Law?
In 1961, the city declared itself the poultry capital of the world. Lawmakers passed this eccentric publicity stunt to honor their billion-dollar chicken agriculture industry.
Status: repealed 2018
Why Is This a Law?
In 1920, the town banned throwing any missiles at people, animals, or buildings to prevent vandalism. Because a snowball qualified as a missile, generations of children were technically breaking the law.
Status: technically enforceable
Why Is This a Law?
In the 1960s, tree roots grew under the sidewalks, making the pavement extremely uneven. The city wrote this law to prevent lawsuits from people tripping in stiletto heels.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
The state's name comes from a Native American tribe, but French explorers added a plural "s." In 1881, the legislature legally mandated the French pronunciation to end a bitter feud between two senators.
Status: repealed 2018
Why Is This a Law?
Dating back to 1892, this was an early anti-scam law. It was designed to stop con artists from tricking frightened people into paying them money to lift fake curses.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
This is a brilliant workplace safety regulation. Paint is opaque and would hide dangerous cracks or rot in the wood, causing a worker to climb a broken ladder and fall.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
Mexico City sits in a high-altitude valley that traps air pollution. In 1989, smog became so toxic the government restricted driving to instantly remove twenty percent of exhaust fumes.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
This law exists to keep the economy moving. It stops angry people from holding up store lines by paying large bills entirely in pocket change.
Myth or Law? — The North America Challenge
You've survived the weirdest rules North America has to offer, but your final test is to spot a total fake. Two of the laws below are absolutely real, while one is a massive internet lie. Trust your instincts and see if you can catch the imposter!
Two of these are real, citable laws. One is a famous fake — can you spot it?
You are strictly forbidden from painting a wooden ladder, though you may coat it in a clear protective varnish.
In California, it is strictly illegal to eat a fresh orange while you are actively taking a bath.
Cashiers in Canada can legally refuse your payment if you attempt to use too many coins in a single transaction.
The verdicts:
[real] You are strictly forbidden from painting a wooden ladder, though you may coat it in a clear protective varnish. — This is a real workplace regulation from the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code, Part 8, ensuring paint doesn't hide dangerous cracked wood.
[myth] In California, it is strictly illegal to eat a fresh orange while you are actively taking a bath. — This is a famous fake that started when internet trolls mutated an actual California rule against eating on public transit into a ridiculous bathtub myth.
[real] Cashiers in Canada can legally refuse your payment if you attempt to use too many coins in a single transaction. — This is real and can be found in the Canada Currency Act of 1985, Section 8.2, which prevents people from purposely slowing down checkout lines.