Many people in Florida may not know about these strange rules, but they are there, ready to be broken. Some make sense, some are out of date, and most are just plain weird.
These are some of the most notable:
Feeding Gators
The gators and crocodiles that live in Florida need to eat, right? Not with the help of people, anyway. There are some loopholes to a Florida law that has been in place for years that says people can’t feed gators or crocs in the wild.
Balloon Releases
It might be fun to let off balloons at a wedding or birthday party, but Florida lawmakers know that they are bad for the wildlife and the environment. In order to keep them in line, there is a law.
You can’t let go of 10 or more balloons at once unless they are recyclable, hot air balloons, being let go of inside, or as part of a project studying weather. People who break the law will be fined $250. If you want to let off 10 or more balloons, you must ask the circuit court in your county for special clearance.
Reporting Fire
Even if you didn’t start the fire, Florida law says you have to report it in some situations. That applies if the individual “knows that he or she is under an official, contractual, or other legal duty to control or combat the fire” or the blaze “was started lawfully by the person or with his or her assent and was started on property in his or her custody or control.”
Florida Souvenirs
Do not sell anything that says “From Florida” unless you are sure that it really comes from Florida. A state law says that souvenirs can’t say “From Florida” or “Fresh From Florida” unless they are listed with the Florida Department of Agriculture.
Being a Pain. It’s crazy to think that Florida has a rule against being annoying. “All nuisances that tend to annoy the community, injure the health of the citizens in general, or corrupt the public morals are misdemeanors of the second degree,” the law states. Remember that the next time you want to talk about politics at Thanksgiving.
Also Read: In 2024, new laws will be implemented in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York
Pedal Your Own Bike
There are a lot of rules about riding a bike in Florida, but one of them is a little strange. The law says that a car can’t pull someone who is on a bike, roller skates, or “toy vehicle or sled.”
Water Ski Safety
It makes sense that Florida has a lot of water safety rules, since there is so much of it. It seems like common sense that one of those rules says you can’t go water skiing while drunk or high, but this is Florida, after all.
Local Laws
It depends on where you are in Florida what local rules can be used against you. In Miami, it is against the law for workers or performers in dance halls or ball rooms to talk to or hang out with customers unless they are teaching dance. People in Satellite Beach are not allowed to go out in public while dressed in liquid rubber or body paint.
There are places that don’t allow lap dances, even when the dancers are fully dressed. In Pensacola, too, you can get a ticket for rolling a barrel down the street. Different things inside the barrel have different fines. It is against the law in Destin to ride a bike through a graveyard. There are laws in the Florida Keys that protect chickens.
Old Laws
Some Florida rules from the past are so strange that they deserve to be talked about. It seems that singing in Florida while wearing a swimsuit or bikini was against the law at one point. Also, before 2005, it was against the law in Florida for a woman who wasn’t married to parachute on Sundays.
Taking a horse in Florida used to be a capital crime that could lead to hanging, but the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual sentences means that the hanging part is no longer legal. It can now get you up to five years in jail and a $5,000 fine.