Unusual New England Laws Trivia Quiz

Answer: Massachusetts

According to the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 266, Section 132, it is illegal to wilfully kill or frighten pigeons in the state. The law, which threatens violators with imprisonment and/or a $20 fine, goes back to the 19th century. Some historians believe that the reason the law was originally on the books is that pigeons were a food source back then, so scaring pigeons would frustrate a hunter's targets. Though this law was meant to protect hunters rather than the animals, modern law is now in place to protect the birds as well.

Answer: Massachusetts

An old ordinance in Massachusetts specified that having a goatee beard is illegal without applying and paying for a special license fee for wearing it in public. In the old Massachusetts Bay Colony, men were also not legally allowed to have long hair. Of course, these strange laws are no longer enforced.

Answer: Massachusetts

According to the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 266, Section 128, it is illegal to "efface, alter, or cover over" a stamped name on a milk can or carton. One wonders what had to happen for the legislature to decide that this law was needed! The violation is punishable by a $10 fine. Though the origin of this law is uncertain, it likely has to do with the economic realities of the time or perhaps with a health and safety concern of the legislature back then.

Answer: Massachusetts

According to the Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 266, Section 104A, wilfully "destroying, injuring, or removing" a goal post from a football field will receive a fine of between $50 and $200 if caught. Occasionally, the media will remind fans of college football of this law before they engage in rowdy celebrations.

For example, fans who planned to attend the Harvard vs Yale football game in 2014 were warned that they would be fined should they engage in one of the illegal acts described above.

Answer: Connecticut

In Bloomfield, Connecticut, there is a law that forbids people from eating inside their cars. This town ordinance apparently originated in the 1950s as an attempt to stop littering on the streets. In fact, burger joints like Burger King would have a sign in their establishments warning customers not to eat in their cars so they wouldn't break this unusual law. Whether this law is specifically enforced or not today is not as important, since a police officer could always consider this a distraction that would deserve a ticket nonetheless.

Answer: Connecticut

In Devon, Connecticut, the legislature enacted a law in 1926 that forbade people from walking backward after sunset. The law was apparently put in place after a series of injuries in this fashion occurred. While it's certainly good advice not to walk backward at night-time, one wonders if it really is something that needs to be regulated by law. Devon is located inside the city of Milford.

Answer: Vermont

This oddly specific law has been on the books in Vermont for years. Some theorize that it has to do with disturbing animals with the noise, while others think it might have to do with the person's safety (perhaps ingesting something accidentally or someone having drowned after attempting to whistle underwater). Other states like West Virginia have also been known to have similar laws.

Answer: Vermont

Strangely, there was once a legislature in Vermont that felt the need to prohibit women from getting false teeth without first having their husband's approval. This unusual law actually comes from an 1856 case called Gilman v. Andrus, after a man was forced to pay for dentures that his wife had ordered without his permission.

This law remains on the books but is very likely no longer being enforced.

Answer: New Hampshire

Section 338.1 of the New Hampshire Revised Statutes specifies that notes or securities with money that came from gambling are forbidden. By extension, the law makes it illegal to sell one's clothes to pay off gambling debts. The statute also clarifies that gambling is not effective to change title of money or other property.

Answer: New Hampshire

In 2015, New Hampshire legislators launched a contest where they challenged students to find the state's "dumbest law". After being proposed many options, they decided that a law that made it illegal to collect seaweed at night was the winner. Historians believe that this ancient law was originally on the books to give everyone a fair shot to harvest seaweed, rather than someone getting an unfair advantage by doing so at night.

The law was repealed in 2016.