Dumb California Laws – $500 Fine for Exploding a Nuke

by Petr Novák, ? The accuracy of the information provided in this article was last verified on this date. If you spot any errors, please let us know in the comments. Thank you. :-) Updated 05/23/2023 California, Dumb Laws, Hollywood, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco

The state of California is renowned for enacting peculiar laws – or rather, not repealing outdated ones. For instance, in 1838, the state passed a law requiring a man to obtain written permission prior to courting a woman.

58 Funny Laws from California

• In accordance with a Chico city ordinance, anyone detonating an atomic bomb within city limits will be fined $500.
• In the city of Alhambra, street parking overnight requires appropriate authorization.
• Animals must not mate if they are closer than 1,500 ft to a tavern, school, or church.
• An ordinance in San Francisco forbids the use of used underwear to clean cars.
• In the city of Arcadia, peacocks are permitted to cross any street or road.
• Vendors in California may face penalties for selling alcohol to someone presenting a falsified or altered ID.
• Bicycle riding in a swimming pool is prohibited at Baldwin Park.
• Public bathhouses are illegal.
• According to the Belvedere City Council, “No dog shall be in a public place unless leashed by its owner.”
• In the City of Blythe, wearing cowboy boots is not allowed unless you own at least two cows.
• Spitting is illegal in Burlingame, with the exception of baseball gloves.
• While walking on a cobblestone sidewalk in Burlingame, consuming caramel ice cream is prohibited.
• In Burlingame, women are forbidden to wear high heels.
• Only recently has California permitted the sale of alcohol on nude beaches.
• According to a city ordinance, hindering a child about to leap over a puddle is illegal.
• In the city of Downey, washing your car on the street is prohibited.
• Oral sex practices are illegal.
• On Hollywood Boulevard, herding more than 2,000 sheep at a time is unlawful.
• In 1838, Los Angeles passed a law requiring a man to possess a warrant if he intended to court a woman.
• It is against the law to cry on the witness stand in a Los Angeles courthouse.
• In the city of Berkeley, one cannot whistle at a flightless parrot before 7:00 a.m.
• In 1930, the Ontario City Council enacted an ordinance making it illegal for roosters to crow within city limits.
• State officials are prohibited from letting the telephone ring more than nine times.
• It’s illegal to set a mousetrap without a hunting license.
• Selling gold without a hallmark is considered a forgery offense.
• Just a few years ago, it was legal to cook in a bedroom in Los Angeles, but it was already illegal to sleep in the kitchen.
• In Los Angeles, a man can legally beat his wife with a leather whip, provided the whip is no more than 5 cm thick (unless he and his wife agree on a wider one).
• In Los Angeles, bathing two or more children in the same bathtub at the same time is forbidden.
• In the late 1940s, the state of California prohibited the serving of alcohol to homosexuals.
• In San Francisco, playing poker in public or in a secret room is illegal.
• In San Francisco, knocking on a carpet outside a house is illegal.
• In Ventura County, cats and dogs cannot mate unless they have a permit.
• Shooting from a moving vehicle is illegal, except when targeting whales.
• Secretaries are not legally permitted to be alone in a room with their boss.
• Drinking an orange in the bathtub is prohibited.
• In the city of Lafayette, spitting within 150 cm of another person is illegal.
• Lompoc: To maintain peace, keeping, owning, or breeding roosters is forbidden.
• In Long Beach, only cars are permitted in the garage.
• Under Los Angeles law, catching moths under street lights is prohibited.
• It’s illegal to lick frogs and lizards in Los Angeles.
• Dogs are prohibited from mating within 450 ft of a church. Breaching this law can lead to a $500 fine and/or six months in jail.
• It is illegal to keep snails, sloths, or even elephants as pets.
• Pacific Grove: Harassing butterflies can result in a fine of up to $500.
• No driverless car may exceed a speed of 95 mph.
• Riverside: Between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., carrying lunch on the street is forbidden.
• Palm Springs: Between 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., camels are prohibited on Palm Canyon Drive.
• San Francisco: People classified as “ugly” are not allowed to walk on the street.
• Prunedale: Each house is permitted to have no more than one bathtub.
• Redlands: Using a motor vehicle is illegal unless a person with a lantern is guiding it.
• San Diego: Shooting rabbits from a streetcar is illegal.
• San Diego: Homeowners who still have Christmas lights installed after Feb. 2 will be fined up to $250.
• San Francisco: Elephants are only permitted on Market Street if they are on a leash.
• San Francisco prohibits any technical device that reproduces offensive language.
• San Jose: It is unlawful to own more than two cats or dogs.
• Playing percussion instruments on Santa Monica beaches is prohibited.
• Temecula: When crossing Rancho California Street, ducks always have the right side of the crosswalk reserved.
• The City of San Francisco holds a trademark on the phrase “San Francisco”. Therefore, it is illegal to manufacture any item bearing that name. Violation of this law allows San Francisco to enforce a fine – since the introduction of this law, the city has been earning $300,000,000 a year from the mark.
• Women are prohibited from driving cars while wearing homemade clothing.