28 Traffic Laws That Make Driving in America Interesting

Every state creates its own traffic laws to maintain safety on the roads — but did you know that some of these rules can border on the bizarre? Here are 28 of our favorite weird traffic rules, by state. They will leave you scratching your head, wondering how they originated!

Ladies, Watch Out!

1. We knew California loved fashion, but did you know women in California are actually prohibited by law from driving while wearing a housecoat?

2. In both Louisiana and Virginia, technically women may not drive a car in certain places unless their husband waves a flag in front of the car first.

Creatures on the Move

3. In Alaska, you may not tie your dog to a car roof. (We hope you wouldn't do this anyway.)

4. Florida law says if you tie a goat, alligator, or — ahem — elephant to a parking meter, you must feed the meter.

5. In Massachusetts, no matter how much you may want to, you may not drive a gorilla around in your backseat.

6. In Montana, you may not keep sheep in your truck — that is, unless you have a chaperone.

7. Sorry, but in Nevada, you may not ride a camel on the highway.

8. Please don't test the speed of a horse on a highway in Rhode Island, per the authorities.

9. In Utah, you must yield the right of way to birds on highways — or else.

Mind Your Traffic Manners

10. Heavens to Betsy, don't swear while sitting in a vehicle in Rockville, Maryland.

11. Missouri considers it illegal to honk someone else's car horn.

12. If you get stopped by a police officer in New Jersey, turn that frown upside down — it's against the law to frown at a cop in the Garden State.

13. New Mexico law states that it's downright criminal for taxi drivers to physically drag potential customers into their cab.

14. If you're driving into a city in Washington with criminal intentions on your mind, the law states that you must pause at the city limits and make a quick phone call to the chief of police, to give him or her a heads up. I mean, it's only polite.

Time's Up!

15. If you're in Denver, Colorado, you'll be in hot water if you drive a black car on a Sunday. On Monday through Saturday, however, it's all good.

16. Whatever you do, don't honk your horn after 9 p.m. in Arkansas if you're near an establishment that serves sandwiches or cold drinks.

And That's Why We Don't Do That

17. Alabama says it's illegal to drive while blindfolded. Makes sense.

18. Illinois takes it a step further and makes it a crime to drive a car with no steering wheel — however you would do that.

19. If you're in Michigan and want to read the daily newspaper, you may not sit in the middle of the street to do so. Find a coffee shop, people.

20. Tennessee law says you may not shoot game from a moving vehicle — unless you're shooting a whale. And if you can shoot a whale all the way from Tennessee, we're impressed.

21. Don't read a comic book while driving in Oklahoma, or you'll have to answer to the authorities. And not the superhero kind.

22. If you're driving on the sidewalk in Oregon, traffic laws state that you must yield to pedestrians.

23. In Arizona, if you ignore an official barricade in a flood zone, you will be on the hook for any expenses required to rescue you, your passengers, or your vehicle from the flood waters — including emergency vehicles.

Wait... What?

24. In Mount Vernon, Iowa, you will face charges if you throw a Red Ryder BB gun onto a highway.

25. Texas requires you to have windshield wipers on your car to register your vehicle — but not an actual windshield.

26. It's illegal to drive around a town square in Ohio more than 100 times in a row — so you'd better figure out how to exit that roundabout.

27. Pennsylvania requires that if you're driving at night on a country road, you must stop the car every mile and set off a warning signal, such as a flare, and allow livestock to clear the road for 10 minutes.

28. Good news! In Virginia, if you hit and kill a bear or deer with your vehicle, you are allowed to actually eat the roadkill. The authorities will even give you a certificate.

We have to wonder how some of these strange laws came about! Many surely have become outdated over the years, but they must have served some need at the time the law was passed. So, during your next road trip, keep an eye out for any unusual U.S. traffic laws — break them, and you just might come home with an epic story to tell your friends!

References: The Weirdest Traffic Laws by State | 20 of the Wackiest Driving Laws in the U.S. | 17 of the Weirdest Driving Laws in the U.S. You Didn't Know