Each state has different laws. While you may be familiar with the most common or obvious laws, you may have never heard of the rather odd ones. You may be unaware of your area’s crazy laws, and it’s important to know them, either to avoid doing something illegal or simply to amuse yourself.
New Jersey is a state with a variety of strange laws. Some are very strict, while others are downright ridiculous. So, if you live in New Jersey or you’re planning on moving there, here are the top laws that you won’t believe exist in the state.
No Soup Slurping
Hearing someone slurping their soup probably gets on your nerves. But New Jersey took this annoying habit more seriously by making it illegal.
In the state of NJ, slurping your soup is against the law. So, make sure you do not do it if you’re from another state and visit New Jersey.
Selling Handcuffs to Minors Is Illegal
The last thing you expect to see when you’re walking down the street is a child buying real handcuffs from an adult. It sounds like a scene straight out of a movie. Still, New Jersey thought it was something that happens a lot, which is why selling handcuffs to a minor is illegal. Believe it or not, you can spend six months in county jail if you do it.
Unable to Frown in Bernards Township
Did you have a bad day at work? Did your interest rate for your loan increase? Well, guess what – you’re not allowed to frown over it if you live in Bernards Township.
Back in 1995, a student living in this town created street signs meant to make residents smile. The signs were erected in 1996 after the township approved the resolution that people can’t frown.
According to the municipal clerk of Bernard Township, though, it’s a resolution rather than a law.
No Swearing in Raritan
Let’s say that you live in Raritan, New Jersey, and you have to work overtime, but your boss doesn’t pay you. You’ll have to hire a New Jersey employment lawyer to help you get compensation, and the whole ordeal might stress you out a lot, making you want to swear.
Well, the bad news is that you’re not allowed to drop swear words while in Raritan. Anyone who swears in public can get a ticket from law enforcement, and that’s probably the last thing you want.
No Bike Sirens
If you were planning on adding a horn to your bicycle, think again – bike sirens are prohibited in the state. So, unless you want to deal with legal issues, you should not add horns to your bike.
Don’t Watch Television and Drive
You’ve heard of “don’t drink and drive”, but did you hear of “don’t watch TV and drive”? Well, New Jersey takes this seriously. It’s against the law for a driver to have a television screen that is visible to them.
It may sound strange, mainly because you don’t hear of many people who watch their favorite TV show and drive at the same time. But considering how much technology has evolved over the years, it’s not weird to have this kind of law.
Not Selling Cars on Sundays
Planning to buy a new vehicle? Don’t wait around for the weekend to come. Instead, you should purchase it during the week or at least on Saturdays, because Sundays are not for selling cars. In New Jersey, selling cars on Sundays is prohibited.
Don’t Wear a Bulletproof Vest If You’re Committing a Crime
When someone wants to commit a crime that involves a gun, you’d think it’s only normal for the culprit to want to wear a bulletproof vest. Well, while committing a crime in itself is already bad enough, in New Jersey you can also get punished for wearing a bulletproof vest while doing it.
At first, this may sound like an odd law, but considering it’s harder to claim innocence while wearing this vest, it all makes sense.
Final Thoughts
Each state has its own unique laws, and some even have laws that sound too weird to be true. However, New Jersey has some great examples of odd laws, such as frowning being prohibited in some places, driving and watching TV simultaneously being prohibited, and selling handcuffs to minors being against the law. So, make sure you consider all these and do not break the laws if you live in New Jersey or visit the state.
