NJ's Weirdest Laws: Slurping Soup, Buying Handcuffs, Body Armor

NEW JERSEY — At Patch, we update you about new laws that are passed in the New Jersey statehouse. But, what about those laws that are so old and so...well, odd that you can’t quite believe they’re real pieces of legislation? Let’s take a look at some of the unique and strange laws on the books in the Garden State.

Even outside the region, people know that New Jersey is the only state in the nation with fully-attended gas stations, after Oregon lawmakers repealed a 72-year-old ban on self-serve gas (though that bill has not yet been signed by the governor).

Current New Jersey state law says it is in the public interest for station attendants to pump gas, to reduce fire hazards. Anyone who violates state law can be fined $50-250 for a first offense, and no more than $500 for further violations. This law has been in effect since 1949.

And, New Jersey is one of several states banning the sale of motor vehicles on Sunday. Going ahead with a sale, purchase, or exchange of a motor vehicle could lead to a $100 fine and up to 10 days in jail on a first offense. The second offense “is punishable by a fine not to exceed $500 or imprisonment for a period of not more than 30 days or both.”

Here are some other odd, or at least oddly specific, laws we could confirm are real:

• Minors cannot buy handcuffs.
  • N.J.S.A. 2C:39-9.2 bans the sale of any device “that can be tightened and locked about the wrists for the purpose of restraining a person's movement” to people under the age of 18. Breaking this law would result in a disorderly persons offense, according to the state code.
• It is illegal to wear a bulletproof vest while committing a murder – or multiple other serious crimes.
  • N.J.S.A. 2C:39-13 describes “unlawful use of body vests,” stating a person is guilty of a second- or third-degree felony if they commit, or attempt to commit, the following crimes: murder, manslaughter, robbery, sexual assault, burglary, kidnaping, criminal escape or assault.
  • People are also prevented from wearing bullet-resistant body armor while fleeing after committing, or attempting to commit, one of these crimes. Breaking this law would result in a disorderly persons offense, according to the state code.

Now, there are plenty more strange-sounding laws that we couldn’t quite track down in the rule books – including that it’s illegal to slurp soup, and that you can’t frown at a police officer.

Several law offices around the state have mentioned these, including the Law Office of Joseph A. Rutigliano in North Jersey and Ehrlich Law Offices (with headquarters in Belmar):

• It is illegal to frown at a police officer.
• Slurping soup is against the law.
• Men are forbidden from knitting during the fishing season.

The only mention of “slurp” Patch could find in the New Jersey Statutes was designating the third weekend of every October “Shuck, Sip, and Slurp Weekend" for the promotion of New Jersey oysters, wine, and beer.

And, we could not find any results for “frown” or “scowl” when searching the statutes in CaseText and Justia. There’s nothing on knitting, either — meaning these laws are so old that they haven't made it into online records, or that they were a Jersey tall tale.