The Dumbest Laws in All 50 States

HAWAII: Billboards have no place in paradise. They’re outlawed in the state with few exceptions, including notices from public offices and signs posted where goods are sold.

IDAHO: Cannibalism is strictly prohibited and punishable by up to 14 years in prison, except under “life-threatening conditions as the only apparent means of survival.”

ILLINOIS: Urban legend says it’s a crime in Illinois to possess more than $600 worth of salamanders. (That’s 75-plus salamanders, according to fair market value.)

INDIANA: Liquor stores can’t sell refrigerated water or soda. The law specifies that a beer and wine store should be in the exclusive business of selling adult beverages.

IOWA: Anyone trying to pass off margarine as real butter is guilty of a misdemeanor under food-labeling laws in Iowa. “Renovated butter” must also be labeled as such.

KANSAS: There’s no place like home to get tipsy. It’s illegal to sell liquor by the glass in over 25 counties across Kansas, which repealed prohibition a full 15 years after Congress.

KENTUCKY: Every legislator, public officer, and lawyer must take an oath stating that they have not fought a duel with deadly weapons.

LOUISIANA: Jambalaya prepared in “the traditional manner” is not subject to state sanitary code. The Creole stir-fry, made with rice, meat, and veggies, may be prepared for public consumption in the open using iron pots and wood fires.

MAINE: A game of chance called Beano (like Bingo) is regulated here. The law says a person may assist players by playing their cards while they take a bathroom break.

MARYLAND: Oral sex is illegal in Maryland — giving and receiving. A person found in violation is guilty of a misdemeanor, but the state is not known to enforce the law.