California is known as the “Golden State.” It offers such diverse scenery that it is great for trekking or excursions, mountain climbing, picnicking, sports, and snowboarding.
Of course, California’s picturesque coastline is ideal for water sports junkies who like sailing, windsurfing, fishing, and swimming. Hollywood is located in California, where make-believe meets reality.
With that said, California won’t be California without some strange laws that still exist today. Some of these laws are so bizarre that they will surprise you.
Let’s begin!
1. Ladies Don’t Wear High Heels
The first one on our list of weird laws comes straight from Carmel, where women are not allowed to wear high heels within the city limits.
Though commonly dismissed as an urban legend, the Carmel municipal ordinance prohibits wearing shoes with heels exceeding 2 inches high or with a base of less than one square inch, except if the person has secured permission for them.
While the city police do not punish anyone who violates the ban, the municipal attorney drafted it in 1963 to protect the town from litigation stemming from high-heeled shoe users falling over uneven ground deformed by tree roots. Written permission is offered at Municipal Hall for free.
2. Can’t Wear Cowboy Boots
The second law on your list is from Blythe. In Blythe, you cannot wear cowboy boots unless you are actually a cowboy. You must possess two or more cows in order to wear these stylish boots. So, cowboys with only one cow, no cowboy boots for you.
3. You and Your Neighbor
It is illegal in Los Angeles to wash your neighbor’s car without asking for their consent. Don’t even think about it.
4. You and Your Garage
When it comes to strange laws in California, this is one of the strangest. It is illegal in Long Beach and San Francisco to store anything other than cars in your garage. The intention behind the law is noble. Such a law exists to solve the parking problem.
5. Matching Jacket and Pants
Carmel is here on our list of weird laws with another strange law. It is one thing not to wear high heels. However, in Carmel, a guy can go outdoors while sporting a mismatched jacket and pants. Carmel definitely focuses a lot on the fashion sense of its residents.
6. Smelly Animal Hide
In the list of weird laws, we now have Chico. According to Chico municipal laws, it is illegal for anybody to maintain, store, or own any smelly animal hide or hide that has an objectionable odor.
Why would anybody want to own an animal hide with a bad odor? But if you want to, you cannot because it is illegal in Chico.
7. Bikes and Swimming Pools
In Baldwin Park, a region in Los Angeles County, you cannot ride a bicycle in a swimming pool. This prohibition dates back to the 1970s when BMX cycling and skating were extremely fashionable in California. When public pools were empty in the winter and autumn, young teens would often sneak into them and turn them into skating rinks.
8. Women and Housecoats
Speaking of weird laws in California, it is against the law for women drivers to drive while donning a housecoat.
In the state of California, women are prohibited from driving while wearing their housecoats, sometimes known as their nightdress. Females who disobey this legislation may face hefty penalties. Girls, the next time you are starving late at night, change out of your nightgown and consider wearing a jacket before getting into your car.
9. Mini Golf Course
Long Island is back again with another weird law. Cursing is not permitted on a mini-golf course in Long Beach within the city limits. No bad words! Even if you lose or someone cheated, there is no cursing allowed.
10. Jumping Into or Out of a Moving Vehicle
Honestly, it sounds really exciting. However, it is illegal in Glendale to leap in and out of a moving vehicle.
To be more exact, it is illegal to leap out of a vehicle that is driving at 65 miles per hour. So it’s acceptable to leap out of a moving car driving at 64 mph? So, the next time you are in Glendale, limit our road antics to under 65 mph.
11. Sleeping on the Street
While driving through Eureka, if you get really tired and have the impulse to pull over and sleep on the comfortable concrete road or sidewalk, fight the temptation! It’s a trap. Sleeping on the street within the city limits results in fines of up to $1,000 and a six-month prison term.
If you’re travelling through this town, you’re better off putting up with the discomforts of your car’s cushioned seat or a real bed at a nearby motel.
12. Don’t Disturb the Lizards
Fresno is a lovely city, yet it has peculiar regulations. One of them is that tourists are not permitted to disturb lizards in the city park. You must resist the urge to pet these polite-looking scaly reptiles.
13. Bowling
Chico is back with another entry on the list. Bowling on the sidewalk is not permitted in Chico. A lot of people were looking forward to it, but sadly, it is illegal and they may have to pay some hefty fines.
14. No City for Pet Lovers
In this list, this law is really annoying. In San Jose, having more than two cats or dogs is prohibited by law. Additionally, there are other strict laws for pet owners. There goes my plan to move to San Jose with my 46 cats.
15. Bingo
Bingo is a fun and harmless game that old people are really fond of. However, it is illegal in Fresno to hold a private bingo game. The worst part is yet to come. In Fresno, it is also unlawful to play bingo drunk. Life is no fun without some drunk private bingo games.
16. No Gasoline for Drunk People
Sticking with Fresno, it is against the law to sell gasoline to a drunken person. Although it is weird, in some cases, it might be justified. However, putting a blanket ban on the sale of gasoline to an intoxicated person seems a bit too much.
17. Moths’ Lives Matter
When thinking about weird laws, we cannot forget about Los Angeles. It is prohibited to hunt moths beneath a street lamp in Los Angeles. Other people might call this law weird, but I think it makes a lot of sense. Just leave the moths alone. They are not bothering anyone.
18. Spitting in Burlingame
Burlingame is nice and peaceful, as long as you don’t spit anywhere, except on baseball diamonds. I am not joking. It is one of the most bizarre laws on your list. It is actually illegal to spit, except on a baseball field in Burlingame. If you want to spit in public in Burlingame, you have to join a baseball team.
19. A Tale of Two Bathtubs
Let’s imagine a situation. There are two rooms in your house, and each is occupied by one person. Now, both of these people like to take long baths in their bathtubs. So, the obvious solution is to have bathtubs in both rooms.
But not in Prunedale, California. In Prunedale, it is illegal to install two bathtubs in the same house. Does this make sense? Not at all.
20. Lost Canary
What if you lost your canary? Well, you will go looking for him while whistling to call him out. However, you have to wait till 7 am in Berkeley.
Why may you ask? Because in Berkeley, it is prohibited to whistle for a lost canary before 7 am. You have no option but to wait till 7 am.
21. Pet Elephant Within City Limits
There are a lot of weird laws. However, this one is weirder. It is unlawful to walk an Elephant along Market Street in San Francisco unless the elephant is on a leash.
Now, there are a few things you must be wondering. First of all, why do people have Elephants as pets? Second, what is a leash supposed to do? There is only one possible answer to both these questions: Nobody knows.
22. California Against Motorists
The next law on our list is from Alhambra. In today’s time, vehicles are a necessity. But, if you live in Alhambra, drivers might have to deal with a little issue.
Unless they obtain a special permit, drivers in Alhambra are not permitted to park their automobiles on the street overnight. They need to invest in a garage or rent a parking space.
23. Rocks Have Feelings Too
Fresno seems to appear a lot on the list. This is one more of the wacky laws in Fresno. Injuring or disturbing a rock in Fresno’s City Park is unlawful. In simple terms, stay away from the rocks.
24. Weird Laws: El Monte
El Monte lies in the San Gabriel Valley and is also a part of our list. One thing to know about this city is that it does not like arcade games very much. That is why pinball machines, as well as mock horse racing games, are illegal in El Monte.
25. Nuclear device
In this list of weird laws, we have seen various bizarre and hilarious laws. However, this is the best out of all the California laws.
In Chico, detonating a nuclear device within the city limits can result in a hefty fine of $500. Even if you do it by mistake, you still have to pay a huge sum of 500 dollars. So, be careful out there with your nuclear device.
Closing Thoughts
These are just some of the weird laws. After reading this list, many people will be left wondering who made these laws and why.
Whatever the cause, one thing is certain: they are all deserving of a few good chuckles. Except for a few of them, no one will be arrested for breaching any of these laws—specifically, the one about the nuclear gadget. You should be arrested for it.
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Last Updated on by ritukhare
