The 50 Craziest State Food Laws

We know that people in different states have very different opinions on how certain foods should be eaten—just look at the country's wild variety of sandwich preferences—but we had no idea about the slew of silly laws out there governing everything from what we can and can't eat to when and where we can eat them. How many of these absurd food laws have you broken?

In Mobile, AL, it is illegal for anyone to "operate any open saloon within the city or its police jurisdiction." Sorry, cowboy!

In the city of Fairbanks, AK, feeding any alcoholic beverage to a moose is a very serious offense. Probably best to keep large, wild animals sober, anyway.

In Arizona it's illegal to hunt a bird, fish, or other mammal and "knowingly permit an edible portion to go to waste."

In Little Rock, you better not get caught honking your car horn at a sandwich shop after 9 p.m. Maybe deli meats need their beauty rest, too?

People in Carmel were apparently prohibited from eating or selling ice cream on public streets—until Clint Eastwood became mayor in 1987 and repealed the silly law.

This one makes total sense: It's illegal to drink before riding a horse in Colorado. It's considered a non-motorized vehicle.

Connecticut's most famous food law is actually a myth: Despite what you've heard, there is no law that a pickle must bounce to qualify as our beloved salty snack.

In Delaware, it's illegal for restaurants to serve margarine unless they have a sign warning customers that it's not actually butter.

Be careful of clumsy dishwashing in the state of Florida—you're not allowed to break more than three dishes per day or chip the edges of more than four cups or saucers, according to the law.

Not that you'd ever want to, but just in case: Putting an ice cream cone in your back pocket on Sundays is illegal in Georgia. OK!

You used to have to leave your double-fisting habit at home if you're heading to Hawaii, because it used to be illegal to have more than one alcoholic drink in front of you at a time. It's since been repealed.

We're actually OK with this law: You cannot eat another person's flesh unless it's for survival! Good to know!

If you're a culinary student in Illinois, and you're under 21, you can sip alcoholic beverages...you just have to spit them out after.

The city of Gary, IN, has no tolerance for bad breath, according to the law. If you've eaten garlic in the last four hours, you're not allowed to go to a movie theater or ride a public streetcar.

We're not sure what occurred in the city of Indianola leading to the banishment of the "Ice Cream Man" and his truck, but the local kids are really missing out on a sweet summer tradition.

We've all had an unfortunate experience with a vending machine at some point, but a law prohibiting people from hitting a machine that stole their money ensures that things don't get violent in Derby, KS.

If you don't like what a public speaker has to say in Kentucky, try to contain yourself. But if you can't, you should know that the law that throwing eggs at them could lead to a fine or land you in prison for up to a year has been repealed.

Trying to play a prank on your friend by ordering surprise pizzas to be delivered to their house? In Louisiana, that cheesy ploy could get you slapped with a $500 fine!

Better not get in the way of South Berwick residents and their favorite coffee—it's illegal to park your car in front of the Dunkin' Donuts on Main Street here.

Your mom has probably told you not to eat before you swim, but according to Maryland law, eating while swimming in the ocean is an absolute no-no.

People grieve in many different ways, but Massachusetts residents should try not to eat their feelings due to a law that prohibits mourners from eating more than three sandwiches at a wake.

It's best not to get tipsy while taking the train in Michigan—people who are drunk and disruptive on a locomotive are breaking state law.

St. Cloud residents have an odd law on the books that makes it illegal to eat hamburgers on Sundays. If a craving hits, we suggest grilling some up in the privacy of your own home.

Adventurous eaters in Mississippi should be forewarned—selling the meat of a cat for food is definitely not legal. We think felines throughout the state would agree, that's a good one to follow.

You're definitely in the minority if you still have a milk man delivering jugs to your door; but those who live in St. Louis should warn the man that running while on duty is off limits.

The law in Salisbury, MT, states that soda bottles should not to be thrown on the ground. In case you're a litter bug, you should know that this is looked down on in other states, too.

Everybody loves donuts, but Leigh, NE, used to be no fan of donut holes. The law in Lehigh used to forbid them but it's since been repealed.

If your bank account is suffering from buying one too many rounds for your squad, Nevada might be the place for you. The city of Nyala had made it against the law to buy drinks for more than three people at any one point during the day.

The city of Claremont, NH, is not down with you hosting any spooky soirées in the graveyard. It's illegal to get drunk in the cemetery here.

New Jersey lawmakers are surprisingly strict about table manners —the law states that you shall not slurp your soup. It makes us wonder...does ramen count?

If you're trying to be thrifty by packing your own lunch, don't go parading it down Main Street in Las Cruces, NM, where carrying a lunchbox is outlawed.

We've seen concertgoers do some wacky things in New York, but the city of Greene has put its foot down when it comes to a very specific action—eating peanuts and walking backwards on the sidewalks...?

Bingo players aren't necessarily known to be a rambunctious crowd, but the state of North Carolina seems to think they have the potential to be. Here, serving alcohol at a bingo game is not allowed.

Apparently North Dakota is a place where Oktoberfest celebrations go to die. In this state, beer and pretzels cannot legally be served at the same time in any bar or restaurant.

Breakfast cereal is a touchy subject in the city of Columbus, OH. Stores apparently cannot sell Corn Flakes on Sundays here, so stock up ahead of time or you might just have to go with Frosted Flakes instead.

Taking a bite out of another person's hamburger will not be tolerated in the state of Oklahoma, which is something we can definitely get behind—that's just plain rude.

In the town of Vale, OR, it's illegal to abandon a fridge or freezer without taking the door off first. Um, good to know!

If you were considering cozying up to sleep on top of a refrigerator—an outdoor refrigerator, no less—you can forget about it, thanks to a Pennsylvania law that outlaws it.

If you want to collect fresh seaweed to eat (um, sure!) just make sure you're a Barrington, RI, resident because otherwise, doing so in the town is illegal.

The South Carolina city of Spartanburg is fine with you eating watermelon...just as long as you're not in the Magnolia Street cemetery, you should be good to dig in.

There's no shame in having the ability to fall asleep virtually anywhere, but South Dakota residents are strictly forbidden from doing so inside a cheese factory.

In Tennessee, what's considered legal might be more surprising than what's outlawed—here, you're free to gather and consume roadkill for dinner if your heart desires.

Don't you dare go milking someone else's cow in Texas. You'll be breaking the law and have to live with the fact that you're a dairy thief.

Strong bones are of the utmost importance to Utah residents. It's against the law to discriminate against "buyers of milk, cream or butterfat."

In Vermont, butter is apparently not something to mess around with. It used to be required in Vermont, and other states, that margarine be dyed pink. This has since been repealed.

Richmond, VA, residents can't leave their diner tab to luck thanks to a law that makes it illegal to flip a coin to see who pays for coffee.

In Washington, it's been decided that attaching vending machines to a utility pole is off-limits without prior consent, so you'll just have to track down your snacks elsewhere.

If you come across a critter that's had an unfortunate run-in with traffic, West Virginia law wants you to know that you're welcome to take it home and cook it up for supper. Free meat!

Another law on margarine still on the books as of 2016, was it was illegal for a restaurant to serve margarine as a substitute for butter, that is unless a patron specifically asked for it.

Wyoming law states that drinking should be reserved for après-ski. Skiing under the influence of alcohol is actually illegal in the state.