Oh, Those Strange Maryland Laws

It is illegal in Maryland to grow thistles in your yard. In Baltimore, it is illegal to take a lion with you to the movies. Welcome to the strange world of Maryland laws.

According to another strange Maryland law, if you desire to be an alcohol beverage writer, you must be certified by an agency of the state as an expert before you can receive product samples. If you do receive samples, you may not receive more than three samples per brand.

According to another strange Maryland law, it is illegal to sell condoms in the state from a vending machine, but there is one exception to the law. Prophylactics may be sold from a vending machine, but only in places where alcoholic beverages are sold.

Men in Maryland may not buy alcoholic drinks for female bartenders.

Many cities in Maryland have their own strange laws.

The law about taking a lion to a movie isn't the only strange law in Baltimore. It is also illegal in the city to throw bales of hay from a second story window. You will be violating a park rule if you are wearing a sleeveless shirt when you to go a local park. It is illegal for any "vagrant" or "tramp" to loiter in any local park--ever. You will be violating a city ordinance if you attempt to sell ducklings or chicks to a minor within one week of Easter.

In Baltimore City you may legally spit on a city roadway, but you will be breaking the law if you spit on city sidewalks. Some people may actually be thankful for this law: It is illegal to curse in the city.

Another law that some may be thankful for is that it is illegal to use profane language on a playground in Cumberland. It is also illegal in the city to knock stones into a public park. The law specifically forbids throwing or knocking missiles or stones into a public park or participating in any games that would be dangerous to anyone visiting the park.

In Rockville, it is illegal to curse while you are on the highway.

It is also illegal in Rockville to remove a building by writing on it. Violation of the law is a misdomeanor. The law specifically prohibits defacing fences or buildings. Nobody may remove any fence, deface it or injure it. The law also applies to gates, railings, porches, fences, or other public land by writing on it, cutting it, or to any other way that could bring damage.

It is also illegal in Rockville for citizens to swim in public fountains. The law also prohibits wading.

Citations:Dumb Laws in Maryland, no author listed, Dumblaws.comb
Stupid Laws, no author listed, Stupidlaws.com