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In the US, driving laws vary from state to state and from city to city.
Legislators regularly write new laws but some of the older ones aren’t repealed even as they become outdated; they are simply no longer enforced and forgotten. In parallel, the immense size of America has led to oddball driving-related laws that make little sense outside of the region they were written for.
From the outdated to the plain strange, here are some of the strangest driving-related laws in the United States:
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Blindfolds in Alabama
Alabama lawmakers decided – wisely – that no one can operate a car with a blindfold on. To be fair, the law doesn’t stop at blindfolds. It also states drivers aren’t allowed to drive a car if they can’t see what’s in front or on the side of it.
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Lanterns in Alabama
Driving the wrong way down a one-way road is illegal just about anywhere in the world. In Alabama, it’s somehow permissible if the driver attaches a lantern to the front of his or her car. We admittedly have a difficult time picturing a Chevrolet Suburban with a lantern tied to the grille going against the flow of traffic.
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Dogs in Alaska
Motorists driving in Anchorage, the capital of Alaska, are not allowed to carry their dog in the back of a pickup truck without putting it in a carrier or using a tether. Drivers caught breaking the law can face a $1000 fine. Law enforcement officials aren’t worried about dogs getting cold during Alaska's long, frigid winter; they’re concerned about a 130lb Akita flying out of a GMC Sierra during an accident.
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Disturbing restaurants in Arkansas
It’s illegal to sound your car’s horn after 9pm “at any place where cold drinks and/or sandwiches are served” in Little Rock, Arkansas. This law is not as random as it might seem because it traces its roots to the time when motorists parked in front of a restaurant and honked for service. Restaurants stopped offering curb service after the rise of drive-throughs but honking remains illegal -- though, in all likelihood, not strictly enforced -- in 2019.
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Car dealerships in Colorado
Thank the government if you’ve ever been to a dealership on a Sunday to wander around and look at cars without having to talk to the sales staff.
Colorado law has prohibited car dealerships from opening on Sundays since 1952. Many other states have followed this example. There is no law banning motorists from driving a black car on Sundays in Denver, however, and there has never been one according to research carried out by local news channel ABC 7.
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Commercial vehicles in Florida
The city of Cape Coral, Florida, doesn’t allow commercial vehicles to be parked in residential areas. It defines a commercial vehicle as any motor vehicle with commercial lettering, which makes perfect sense, but it notes “a pickup truck from which the cargo box has been removed” also falls under the definition. While most motorists aren’t affected by this rule, business owners who live in Cape Coral need to either find another way to and from work or hide their vehicle out of sight.
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Pickup trucks in Hawaii
While Alaska doesn’t want to see flying dogs, Hawaii is less concerned. The state lets drivers transport passengers in the back of their pickup truck when certain conditions are met. The law states the passengers riding in the cargo box need to be at least 12-years old and that all of the seats in the cab need to be occupied. It’s a common – and controversial – practice in the state.
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Screeching tires in Kansas
Only criminals do burnouts in Derby, Kansas. This town of about 25,000 people prohibits drivers from roasting their tires on public roads, whether it’s by doing a burnout in a straight line or by drifting around a corner. Anyone found guilty of what the law calls “screeching tires” faces a fine of up to $500, a 30-day prison sentence, or both.
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Donuts in Maine
Dunkin’ Donuts must be hugely popular in South Berwick, a small town in Maine. City officials specifically prohibit motorists from parking in front and 25ft south of the Dunkin’ Donuts store on Main Street. Motorists who break the law to satisfy an urgent donut craving risk a parking ticket.
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Cursing in Maryland
The city of Rockville, Maryland, wants to keep its streets family-friendly. It’s illegal for a person to curse “on or near any street, sidewalk or highway” within the hearing distance of someone else. This means a police officer can ticket a motorist heard swearing in his or her car. Cursing is a misdemeanor so it’s not considered a serious offense.
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Dirty tires in Minnesota
Make sure to pressure-wash your tires if you go off-roading in or around the city of Delano, Minnesota. Section 801.01 of the city codes and ordinances states that “a truck or other vehicle whose wheels or tires deposit mud, dirt, sticky substances, litter or other material on any street or highway” is a public nuisance.
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Camels in Nevada
Though camels aren’t native to Nevada, the arid desert climate could allow them to survive and even thrive. Someone must have tried at one point in history because an old Nevada law made it illegal to ride a camel on the highway. It was repealed in 1900.
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Taxi dress code in Ohio
Taxi drivers in Cincinnati, Ohio, need to abide by four pages’ worth of rules while picking up and dropping off passengers. They are notably only allowed to wear shorts between May 16 and Labor Day, which falls on the first Monday of September. They are legally required to wear slacks or jeans the rest of the year.
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Minors in Oregon
In Oregon, it’s illegal to drive while carrying a minor on an external part of a car. Odds are the law was written to prevent motorists from driving around with their kids in the back of their truck but it also specifies that someone younger than 18 is not allowed to travel on the hood, the fenders or the running boards of a car. Anyone caught breaking the law faces a traffic violation.
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Pumping fuel in Oregon
For decades, motorists in Oregon weren’t allowed to fill up their own car; they had to wait for an employee to do it for them. This law kept fuel station attendants in business for much longer than in most other American states. There was no way around the law, either, even if you weren’t from Oregon.
In January 2018, Oregon regulators relaxed the law by allowing (but not requiring) fuel stations located in counties with a population of under 40,000 to install self-service pumps. Many did but some decided not to break with tradition. Filling your own tank remains illegal in more urban areas places like Portland, though electric car owners are allowed to plug their car in themselves.
As of 2019, New Jersey is the only state in the US that completely bans motorists from filling up their own car.
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Riding in a boat in Pennsylvania
Riding in a boat, a mobile home or a house trailer while it’s being towed on a public road is illegal in Pennsylvania. It’s a serious offense lumped in the same category as driving on the sidewalk and leaving an unattended child in a car.
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Honking in Rhode Island
In Rhode Island, motorists need to give “a timely, audible signal” before passing another car. Most private cars don’t have sirens and there is no such thing as a passing alarm so that simply means honking a majority of the time. After hearing the signal, the driver getting passed is not allowed to speed up until the overtaking car is back in its lane.
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Roller skates in Tennessee
The city of Nashville, Tennessee, prohibits people from hooking up a scooter, in-line skates, roller skates or a skateboard to a moving vehicle. This practice is only illegal on public roads so thrill-seekers curious to find out what 75mph on roller skates feel like need to find suitable private property.
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Dune buggies in Texas
Texas legislators took steps towards making dune buggies illegal in 2017. Citing safety concerns, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) began asking dune buggy owners to turn in their car’s title but it backpedaled several months later. Regulators still haven’t finalized the law as of 2019 but the dune buggy’s future in Texas is far from bright. Sand Rails and kit cars face a similar fate.
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Snowmobiles in Vermont
Snowmobiles and cars are not allowed to share the road in Vermont but their paths sometimes cross. While operating a snowmobile on a public road is usually illegal, state law permits riders to cross directly across a road if it has five lanes or less. The law warns snowmobile riders do not have the right-of-way; they need to stop and make sure the road is clear before riding across.
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Danger in West Virginia
In West Virginia, billboard ads are not allowed to contain the words “danger” and “stop” or to “imply the need or requirement of stopping or the existence of danger." Regulators worry that motorists cruising along the highway will slam on the brakes if they believe the ad is telling them to stop.
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Non-human primates anywhere in the US
We suggest investing in a sturdy cage if you need to carry a monkey. It’s illegal to transport what the US government refers to as a “non-human primate” if it’s not in an enclosure such as a cage, a crate or a separate compartment in the vehicle. In other words: don’t put your chimp on the passenger seat. Other animals (like dogs) are allowed to ride in the passenger compartment, however.
This law likely sparked the rumor claiming it’s illegal to drive with a gorilla in the back seat in Massachusetts. There’s no evidence that the state specifically banned gorillas at any point in time.
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