16 Laws From American History That Make No Sense to North Dakotans Now

Some laws make sense. Others feel like they were written after a very strange day at work.

A ban on pink margarine and five-hour bingo caps were rules that solved real problems once upon a time.

Some of the laws here remain on the books in the states they’re from. Others live on as folklore.

But all of them reveal what North Dakotans and Americans across the country once took seriously.

Massachusetts Banned Happy Hour

If you try to order a two-for-one beer in Boston, prepare for disappointment.

Since the 1980s, Massachusetts has prohibited happy hour discounts statewide. The rule lives in the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission’s 204 CMR 4.00, and it’s surprisingly strict.

No free drinks. No buying multiple drinks at once for one person. No changing prices throughout the day.

The state basically decided happy hour wasn’t compatible with safe roads.

It’s all spelled out in the regulation itself, and even towns like Canton have their own mirrored rules. Tourists often assume it’s just a bar quirk.

But, nope. It’s the law.

Wisconsin’s War on Yellow Margarine

Butter was big business in Wisconsin. So when margarine started creeping into kitchens in the late 1800s, dairy producers went on the defensive.

The state passed a series of laws banning the sale or use of yellow-colored oleomargarine, a rule that didn’t vanish until 1967.

Lawmakers didn’t stop there. Some states even tried to force manufacturers to dye margarine pink to make it look unappetizing, a strategy the U.S. Supreme Court struck down in 1898.

The saga became a nationwide food fight, and Wisconsin was at the center of it. Detailed accounts from the Smithsonian, National Geographic, and Wisconsin Watch show how intense the “oleo wars” became.

It’s proof that when it comes to breakfast spreads, Wisconsin doesn’t mess around.

New Jersey Still Won’t Let You Pump Your Own Gas

If you’ve ever stopped for gas in New Jersey, you know the drill: stay in your car and wait for the attendant. It’s not courtesy, it’s law.

The Retail Gasoline Dispensing Safety Act requires that only trained attendants can pump gas.

The statute lays out reasons from fire safety to “convenience for motorists,” though New Jersey drivers have been divided for years on whether they actually like it.

After Oregon finally changed its law in 2023, New Jersey became the last state in America where self-serve is illegal.

Somewhere, gas station attendants are heroes, and in New Jersey, they’re backed by statute.

…While Oregon Finally Said “Okay, You Can”

For seventy years, Oregon was just like New Jersey: no self-serve gas. That changed in 2023 with HB 2426, which gave gas stations new flexibility.

Stations in urban counties can now make half of their pumps self-serve, while rural stations can go fully self-serve if they want.

Prices have to be the same at both pump types, and at least one attendant must still be on site.

It’s a modern compromise between old habits and “I just want to pump and go.”

Pennsylvania Makes Paid Fortune-Telling a Crime

If you charge for tarot readings in Pennsylvania, technically, you’re breaking the law. Under 18 Pa.C.S. § 7104, it’s a misdemeanor to “pretend for gain or lucre to tell fortunes or predict the future.”

The law dates back to 19th-century moral panic, when legislators lumped fortune-telling in with fraud.

It’s still there, dusty but intact, and occasionally pops up when someone suggests repeal.

Fortune-tellers may have seen this coming, but the law hasn’t budged.

California Protects Frog-Jumping… and Bans Eating the Contestants

In California, frog-jumping contests are not just legal, they’re regulated.

Inspired by the Calaveras County fair tradition, Fish & Game Code § 6883 sets the rules for the amphibian athletes.

You can possess frogs for competitions, sure. But if a frog dies, the law is very clear: it must be destroyed and cannot be eaten.

Apparently, someone thought post-race frog legs might become a thing.

It’s one of the few laws where “Do not eat the loser” is an actual legal mandate.

North Carolina Limits Bingo to Five Hours

Bingo can get intense. North Carolina decided it needed limits.

Under G.S. § 14-309.8, nonprofit organizations can hold bingo games for no more than five hours per session, no more than two sessions per week, and each session must be at least 48 hours apart.

Somewhere, a church basement clock is ticking ominously at hour five.

Alabama Outlawed Bear Wrestling

Yes, bear wrestling. Alabama actually had to ban it outright.

The state’s “Unlawful bear exploitation” law makes it illegal to promote, participate in, or even be present at bear wrestling matches.

It also prohibits training bears to wrestle or subjecting them to other forms of abuse.

It reads like something out of a Wild West sideshow rulebook.

It’s both horrifying and, in retrospect, darkly absurd that this was once a problem that needed legal fixing.

Alaska Says You Can’t Be Drunk… in a Bar

You read that right. Alaska Stat. § 04.16.040 makes it illegal for an intoxicated person to enter or remain on licensed bar premises.

The rule is technically about public safety, keeping bars from overserving people who are already too far gone.

But in practice, it means that being “too drunk” in a bar is itself a violation.

Visitors tend to do a double-take when they hear it. Yes, in Alaska, being drunk at the bar is… illegal.

Skamania County, Washington, Declared Bigfoot Off-Limits

In 1969, Skamania County, Washington, passed a law protecting “Bigfoot/Sasquatch” from being hunted or killed.

And they weren’t joking.

After a flood of armed hunters rushed into the forests hoping to bag a mythical creature, officials decided they’d better get ahead of a potential disaster.

The county ordinance banned harming the creature, later amending it in 1984 to make the language even clearer.

Whether or not Bigfoot exists, Skamania County is ready.

Chicago Once Banned Foie Gras at Restaurants

Chicago has always had strong opinions about food, but in 2006, the city council took it up a notch.

They passed a ban on selling foie gras in restaurants, citing animal welfare concerns over how it’s produced.

It made national headlines. Chefs were furious. Diners were confused. The ordinance turned into a culinary culture war practically overnight.

By 2008, the city repealed the ban after two years of intense debate and relentless mockery. The law didn’t last, but it made a point.

Colorado Made Rain Barrels Legal Only in 2016

For decades, Colorado treated rainwater as already spoken for.

If it fell on your roof, it was considered part of the water rights belonging to downstream users.

That’s why it wasn’t until 2016 that the state passed HB16-1005, legalizing limited residential rainwater collection.

Homeowners can now use two barrels with a combined capacity of 110 gallons, but only for outdoor use on the same property.

Only in the West would “can I keep the rain?” be a legal question.

Tennessee Criminalized Sharing Your Netflix Password

Back in 2011, Tennessee decided to modernize its anti-theft laws, and landed squarely in the streaming wars.

The update made unauthorized sharing of subscription passwords potentially a criminal offense.

The intent was to go after people reselling passwords in bulk, but the wording meant casual Netflix sharing technically fell under the law too.

It was one of the first legal acknowledgments that “password sharing” had become a cultural norm.

It’s the kind of rule that feels both futuristic and already outdated.

Idaho Explicitly Outlaws Cannibalism

Most states don’t bother to define cannibalism. Idaho does.

Idaho Code § 18-5003 makes cannibalism a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison, with a narrow exception for “life-threatening emergencies.”

The statute defines the act in stark terms, making it crystal clear that this is not one of those “covered by other crimes” situations.

It’s unsettling, but it’s also one of the most oddly specific statutes in the country.

Vermont Banned Billboards Statewide

When you drive through Vermont, you notice something’s missing: billboards. That’s not an accident.

In 1968, Vermont passed a statewide ban on off-premise billboards, written into 10 V.S.A. § 488.

The idea was to preserve the state’s famously scenic landscapes and rural character.

The law is still in place today, with a few exceptions for on-premise signs and official wayfinding. The Green Mountains remain gloriously ad-free.

Gainesville, Georgia, Wants You to Eat Fried Chicken With Your Hands

In 1961, Gainesville, Georgia, passed a resolution declaring it “illegal” to eat fried chicken with a fork.

Yes, really.