The purpose of laws is to keep society safe and functioning properly. While many laws are simply common sense, and others have been made out of necessity, there are some weird laws in Arizona that most people don’t know about.
Arizona has laws that definitely take the cake when it comes to strange. Here are 10 of the weirdest.
1. No-Go for Saguaro Removal
In the state of Arizona it’s illegal to remove or cut down a saguaro cactus. These plants are a state treasure and are highly protected. They’re so special that the state legislature decided that you can go to prison for up to 25 years for cutting one down without a permit.
2. Keep the Garbage From the Pigs
In Arizona, you can’t feed garbage to pigs. While this sounds strange, it’s not as weird as you think. The law applies to facilities that raise pigs, not permitting owners to feed trash to them without a license. This is to ensure the pigs are healthy and sanitary.
3. No Spitting in Public
Goodyear is home to a couple of weird laws in Arizona. Spitting in public is prohibited on crosswalks, highways and sidewalks. Considering that spit can be a health hazard, maybe it’s not such a strange law after all.
4. Seven Women Can’t Live Together
In Maricopa County, there used to be a lot of brothels, so to keep prostitution rates down, this law came into effect: More than six unrelated women cannot live together.
5. Keep the Crane Game Fair
This could be considered one of the weirdest laws in Arizona. It’s against the law to modify crane games so that people lose. You also can’t put prizes where the crane arm can’t reach, and it’s also illegal to use currency as a prize.
6. Dumb Motorists Will Pay
Arizona has a so-called “Stupid Motorist Law” that states anyone who passes a police-enforced barricade and ends up stuck or trapped in flood water will have to pay for the costs of their own emergency rescue. This applies to motorists and motorcyclists.
7. Make Way for Horses
In Arizona, traffic laws apply to horseback riders and horseback riders are protected with the same rights as motorists. These laws also apply to people on camels, donkeys or other animals that can be ridden, as well as horse-drawn carriages. It may be one of the weird laws in Arizona, but definitely not the weirdest.
8. No Touching Flags
In reality, the law doesn’t say not to touch flags. It says you can’t draw or paint or advertise on a flag. It’s also illegal to mutilate or perform any dishonorable act on a flag.
9. Arizona’s Official Tie
The official tie of Arizona is the bolo tie. This became Arizona law in 1971.
10. The Green Light for Street Racing
While most states consider street racing to be risky, Arizona allows it if the landowner or officials approve the race. You are allowed to challenge anyone to a street race.
Other Weird Laws in Arizona
These are just a few of the weird laws in Arizona. If you have questions about any other Arizona laws, especially when it comes to personal injury, contact one of our Phoenix personal injury lawyers today.