New Jersey Still Has Some Pretty Strange Laws on the Books



Most states have outdated, often humorous, laws still technically on the books, covering bizarre prohibitions like eating frogs in California after contests, donkeys sleeping in bathtubs in Arizona after 7 p.m., and wearing a fake mustache to church in Alabama. New Jersey, however, has some of the strangest — and funniest — laws still on the books, making you wonder why they’ve never been repealed. Here are just a few of the ridiculous laws that are still on the books in New Jersey. 


  • • It’s illegal to slurp soup in New Jersey. The law was originally aimed at “unruly tavern behavior.” 
  • • In Trenton, it’s illegal to eat pickles on Sunday.
  • • It’s illegal to wear a bulletproof vest while committing a violent act in New Jersey.
  • • In Manville, it’s illegal to offer alcohol or tobacco to zoo animals.
  • • It’s illegal to sell cars on Sundays in New Jersey.
  • • In Newark, it’s illegal to purchase ice cream after 6 p.m. without a doctor’s note.
  • • Handcuffs can’t be sold to minors in New Jersey.
  • • It’s illegal in New Jersey for a man to knit during fishing season.