Rex Trulove
North Dakota is a state that has a lot going for it. It has many areas of interest and places of beauty. However, it is also home of some strange, silly, crazy laws that can leave a person wondering what the lawmakers were thinking of when the laws were passed.
Here are some of the crazy laws in North Dakota:
* In North Dakota, the law stipulates that all bathtubs must be kept in the backyard. It is easy to see how this could be a tourist draw, but it would mean that places like multiple story apartment buildings wouldn’t be allowed to have bathtubs. It isn’t like they would have a backyard, in the first place, and stepping into the tub from a second story apartment could be a bit tricky. It would also be a bit uncomfortable to take a bath when the temperatures were below zero. You’d need to have friends or family come to chisel you out of the ice, afterward.
* In North Dakota, it is against the law for horses to sleep in bathtubs. I don’t know what the thing is about bathtubs in this state, but if the tub is in the backyard where a horse could get to it, you’d need to make sure that the horse remained awake. I wonder how many coffee-drinking horses they have in North Dakota?
* In Fargo, North Dakota, it is illegal to wear a hat when you are dancing. You can be put in jail for this offense. In fact, it is illegal to wear a hat to anyplace where dancing is taking place.
* In North Dakota, it is against the law for beer and pretzels to be served at the same time in any restaurant or bar. Apparently, crackers, chips, or popcorn can be served with beer, but pretzels are out of the question.
* In Devils Lake, North Dakota, it is against the law to set off fireworks after 11:00 pm. This would mean that firework displays on the Fourth of July would either need to be rushed or done when it is still light out.
* In North Dakota, charity organizations can have stud poker games to raise money for charity, however, they can only do it twice a year. Since this law is specific to stud poker, I’d guess that there would be no restriction on blackjack or five-card draw. Of course, I don’t know how many charity groups raise money with stud poker games or any other kind of poker for that matter. “Honey, I’m going down to the church to play some poker. Hey, it is for a good cause. The proceeds are going to gambler’s anonymous.”
* In North Dakota, it is against the law to lie down and go to sleep with your shoes on. I have no idea why they came up with this law, particularly since the law doesn’t specify a location. It would be illegal to do it even in the backyard while guarding the bathtub against horses that might want to fall asleep in the tub.
* In North Dakota, you can shoot an American Indian who is on horseback. However, you can only do so if you are in a covered wagon at the time.
* In North Dakota, it is against the law to keep an elk in a sandbox in your backyard. Here’s an idea for the large number of people who want to do this. Keep your horse in the sandbox and keep your elk in the bathtub.
* In North Dakota, if you have problems with pigeons, you can’t just kill them. In order to kill pigeons, you have to get a pigeon-killing permit first.
* In North Dakota, all people who are members of North Dakota’s Dry Pea and Lentil Council must be citizens. This one actually makes some sense.
There you go…proof that there are some absurd laws in North Dakota. It is something to ponder while you are taking a bath out in the backyard.
North Dakotha is also known for best Public research Institutes
No doubt when these laws were written they made perfect sense at the time. Frankly that law about falling asleep with your shoes on is very sensible at any time. If it weren’t for the fact that I’m afraid of stepping on sharp rocks or glass, I wouldn’t even wear shoes. I love going barefoot! LOL.
My wife is the same way with regard to shoes. I’m the opposite. I’m barefoot when I shower or go to bed, but it is rare to see me barefoot at any other time. When I get up in the morning, in the dark, I put on my pants, socks, and shoes before I even leave the bedroom. Many times I’ve been guilty of falling asleep in a chair or on a river bank while fishing on a pleasant day, with my shoes on.
That was amusing, odd, and makes me wonder if normal people made up these laws.
All of that is quite true! I’m not sure I’d call the lawmakers ‘normal’, though.
Thanks for a much needed laugh during a break from doing my taxes.
I’m glad that it helped. There are quite a few silly tax laws, too, but that is an entirely different story.
They do seem a bit anal about bathtubs. I’m surprised the state hasn’t gone down the drain.
Yes. I’m not sure about the idea of putting the bathtubs in the backyard, but then, I suppose they make a lot of money from tourists and that backyard law would certainly give people more to see.
The laws are … L-awfully…