In bygone years, states made up their own laws depending on the needs they were facing. Many of these laws were made in the early years of statehood, and they have never been taken off of the books. Enjoy yourself and get a good laugh out of some of the strangest laws in Idaho.
If a man decided he wanted to court a woman, it wasn’t something to take lightly, especially if he wanted to buy her chocolate. The law in Idaho states that he cannot give her chocolates weighing less than 50 pounds. It is definitely not something he would want to do frequently because of the cost involved and the amount of weight she might gain.
Some laws were obviously made to prevent problems. One such law states that “it is against the law to be seen in the street without a smile on your face.” A positive attitude certainly helps cut down on problems, and it also affects others in a positive way.
In the early years, a large majority of the people were aware that Sunday was the Lord’s Day and needed to be honored. In order to do this, a law was made in Idaho that made it a criminal offence to ride a carrousel on Sunday. There was obviously a temptation to do this or the law would not have existed.
This law may have come into existence because of marital problems in the home. The law states that it is illegal to sleep in a doghouse if you are not a dog. Perhaps children were being disciplined in that manner as well.
Gun laws were a problem as far back as 1912 for those living in Idaho. “The carrying of concealed weapons is forbidden, unless same are exhibited to public view.” Obviously the only way to carry a concealed weapon was to wave it around for everyone to see. Perhaps this law was worded in this way to simply keep folks from carrying concealed weapons, and at the same time make them feel like they could.
One of the strangest laws in Idaho is actually a city law of Idaho Falls. There was obviously quite a problem with older folks riding motorcycles in the town. A law, still on the books today, states that it is against the law for a person over the age of 88 to ride a motorcycle.
Understanding the west back in the early days is a must for this one. No one was allowed to buy chickens after dark without the sheriff’s permission. There was obviously some stealing and lying going on after dark.
Some of the strangest laws in Idaho are just downright funny today. However, when one thinks about life in the early 1900s in Idaho, they make sense. By not removing them from the books, Idaho has allowed folks to get a glimpse of what it was like in Idaho in years gone by.
Sources:
http://weird-websites.info/Strange-Laws/Idaho-laws-state-most-stupid-weird-10-old-legal-rules-online.htm
http://funlaws.50webs.com/Idaho.html