Pennsylvania's Weirdest Laws

Ignorance is no excuse for breaking the law. But in here Pennsylvania, we have some very obscure laws that can leave us wondering why they were instituted in the first place.

We gathered some of the weirdest laws in the state that we could verify so you can avoid being penalized for something like using a goldfish as bait.

See the zany laws below:

1. A child's bedroom may not be more than 200 feet from a bathtub or shower and a toilet. This must be to accommodate those tiny bladders kids have.
2. It is unlawful for a person to use or possess Goldfish (Carassius auratus), Comets (Carassius auratus), Koi (Cyprinus carpio) and Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) as baitfish while fishing. Keep your fish in their bowls and aquariums, basically.
3. It's illegal to shoot a paintball gun at someone who's not participating in a paintball game or paintball related activities. Well, this one is kind of a no brainer.
4. All liquor stores must be run by the state. Those Wine and Spirits stores you've seen in every part of PA? All run by the state.
5. It's illegal to hunt a big game animal that is swimming. It's also illegal to hunt in a cemetery. Who would do that?

We found some other "laws" that are quite bonkers, but were unable to confirm them.

The crazy-law rumor mill says these are still on the books:

• It is illegal to sleep on top of a refrigerator outside.
• You may not sweep dirt under the rug.
• Ministers are forbidden from performing marriages if either the bride or groom is intoxicated.
• It is illegal to discharge a gun, cannon, revolver or other explosive weapon at a wedding.
• A person is not eligible to become Governor if he/she has participated in a duel.

Again, we were unable to confirm these laws are actually real or still on the books, but regardless they are quite comical.

Does your municipality have odd laws on the books still? What are some other zany laws you've heard exist in Pennsylvania or other states? Let us know in the comments.

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