Weird laws around the world are not just internet trivia. Real statutes still on the books ban chewing gum in Singapore, running out of fuel on the German Autobahn, wearing high heels at Greek monuments, and singing the Philippine national anthem at the wrong tempo. Some grew out of public health scares, some protect monuments or wildlife, and some are simply old rules nobody has gotten around to repealing. Enforcement is uneven, but tourists get fined, arrested, and deported under these laws every year.
Public Behavior and Speech
Mississippi still criminalizes profanity in front of two or more people, with penalties up to a $100 fine and 30 days in county jail.1FindLaw. Mississippi Code Title 97 Crimes 97-29-47 – Profanity and Public Drunkenness Enforcement generally waits on a formal complaint, but the statute is live.
Australian states hand out on-the-spot fines for offensive language: $110 in Queensland, up to $500 in New South Wales and Western Australia, and as much as $6,000 in Western Australia if the matter goes to court.2Australian Law Reform Commission. Infringement Notices for Offensive Language Saint Kitts and Nevis has arrested visitors, including performers, for public profanity.
Thailand treats disrespect toward currency as disrespect toward the monarchy, because the king’s image appears on every coin and banknote. Stepping on a dropped bill can fall under a lèse-majesté law that punishes defaming or insulting the king with three to fifteen years in prison. Prosecutions for accidental stepping are rare; the cultural expectation is not.
The United Arab Emirates fines public kissing, intimate embraces, and offensive gestures between 1,000 and 100,000 AED (roughly $270 to $27,000). Tourists convicted of these offenses face mandatory deportation.
Venice fines visitors between €50 and €500 for sitting or lying on the ground near monuments and around St. Mark’s Square. Cities from London to Singapore still fine spitting on the sidewalk, a rule that dates to early 20th-century tuberculosis campaigns.
The Philippines regulates its national anthem down to the beat. “Lupang Hinirang” must be performed at a marching tempo between 100 and 120 beats per minute, and getting it wrong can bring a fine above $2,000 and up to two years in jail.
Food, Drink, and What You Can Bring In
Singapore’s chewing gum ban is the most famous food law in the world. Introduced in 1992 after gum jammed the doors and sensors of the mass transit system, the regulation prohibits the import and sale of most chewing gum.3Singapore Statutes Online. Regulation of Imports and Exports (Chewing Gum) Regulations Therapeutic and nicotine gum bought from a pharmacist with a prescription are the only exceptions. Fines for illegal sales are widely reported at up to $100,000 Singapore dollars for a first offense. Gum brought in for personal use is allowed, but spitting it out becomes a littering offense.
The United Kingdom’s Salmon Act of 1986 makes it a criminal offense to handle salmon, trout, eels, and other freshwater fish “in suspicious circumstances,” meaning you can’t possess fish you can’t prove was legally caught.4Legislation.gov.uk. Salmon Act 1986 – Section 32 Penalties reach up to two years’ imprisonment or an unlimited fine on indictment. The law is an anti-poaching tool.
Kinder Surprise eggs have been banned in the United States since the 1930s, not by name but because federal law prohibits candy that fully embeds a non-nutritive object inside it.5Food and Drug Administration. Import Alert 34-02 – Detention Without Physical Examination of Confectionery Products Customs confiscates the eggs at the border. The redesigned Kinder Joy, which keeps the candy and toy in separate compartments, is legal.
France restricted ketchup in public school cafeterias through a 2011 decree meant to protect traditional French cooking. Students can only get ketchup on days when fries are served, roughly once a week.
Canada’s Currency Act caps how many coins you can use in a single transaction: 25 pennies, 100 nickels, 100 dimes, 40 quarters, 25 loonies, or 20 toonies. A cashier can legally refuse a purchase that exceeds those limits.
In Somalia, areas controlled by the militant group al-Shabaab banned samosas in 2011 because the triangular shape was said to resemble the Christian Holy Trinity.
Clothes, Shoes, and Names
Greece banned high heels at ancient monuments in 2009 after studies showed stiletto pressure was eroding marble at sites like the Odeon in Athens. Guards turn away visitors in pointed heels and direct them to flat, soft-soled shoes.
Italy’s Cinque Terre national park bans flip-flops on hiking trails because too many underprepared tourists needed expensive mountain rescues. Fines run from €50 to €2,500, scaled to the cost of the rescue. On Capri, wooden clogs are banned because they’re too noisy on cobblestone streets.
Barbados prohibits civilians from wearing camouflage or anything resembling military uniforms, so soldiers and civilians can always be told apart. Several Caribbean nations enforce similar bans. France’s 2010 law banning face coverings in public carries a €150 fine, and offenders may be required to complete a citizenship course.
Sweden requires parents to submit baby names to the Swedish Tax Agency within three months of birth. The government can reject names it considers offensive, harmful to the child, or not really names at all.6Government of Sweden. About Children A parental attempt to register “Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116,” reportedly in protest, was refused.
England still has a statute from 1313 forbidding entry to Parliament in armor, Edward II’s response to armed nobles intimidating legislators.7Legislation.gov.uk. A Statute Forbidding Bearing of Armour 1313 Seven centuries on, no one has repealed it.
Pets and Animals
Turin, Italy, requires dog owners to walk their pets at least three times a day, with fines up to €500. Neighbors can report owners they think are neglecting their dogs.
Switzerland recognizes that social animals suffer when kept alone. Guinea pigs, parakeets, and similar species must be kept in pairs or groups under the country’s Animal Welfare Ordinance.8Global Animal Law. Switzerland Animal Welfare Ordinance If one guinea pig in a pair dies, the survivor needs a new companion. Some services rent guinea pigs to owners winding down pet ownership so they aren’t stuck replacing animals indefinitely.
Rome bans keeping goldfish in round bowls because spherical containers don’t hold enough oxygen and distort the fish’s vision. The rule sits inside a 59-point animal welfare statute that also bans giving goldfish away as carnival prizes.
Feeding pigeons is a finable offense in the centers of Venice, Florence, and parts of London, with fines typically between €50 and €500. Pigeon droppings are acidic enough to erode historic stone. Under Scotland’s Licensing Act of 1872, being drunk in charge of any “cattle” or “carriage” on a public highway is an offense punishable by up to 51 weeks’ imprisonment, which is where the “drunk on a cow” story comes from.
Household Rules and Quiet Hours
The United Kingdom requires a TV licence for any household watching live television or using BBC iPlayer. Watching without one is a criminal offense under the Communications Act 2003, carrying a fine of up to £1,000.9UK Parliament. TV Licence Fee Non-Payment – Should It Be Decriminalised Licensing officers can visit residences to check compliance.
Germany’s state-level “quiet day” laws prohibit loud work on Sundays and public holidays. Mowing the lawn, running power tools, or otherwise disturbing the neighborhood can bring fines reaching several thousand euros for repeat offenders. Neighbors do report violations.
One story worth correcting: flushing a toilet after 10 PM is not illegal in Switzerland. Swiss law does prohibit excessive noise between 10 PM and 6 AM, and some landlords have written toilet-flushing restrictions into rental agreements, but the Swiss Tenants’ Association has stated a blanket ban would infringe on tenants’ personal rights, and legal experts say it would be unenforceable.
In the United States, the Department of Energy requires general-service light bulbs to produce at least 45 lumens per watt, phasing out traditional incandescents nationwide.10Department of Energy. DOE Finalizes Efficiency Standards for Lightbulbs Australia was the first country to adopt a similar phase-out. Contrary to a popular rumor, Australian law does not require a licensed electrician to change a light bulb; the Electricity Safety Act specifically exempts that task.
Behind the Wheel
Running out of fuel on the German Autobahn is illegal because stopping on a high-speed motorway creates a serious safety hazard. Fines are €35 for a stop under three minutes and €70 for anything longer. If an empty tank causes an accident, the driver can be charged with gross negligence and face far steeper penalties.
Russia fines drivers up to 500 rubles for an obscured license plate. The rule is often described as a “dirty car” law, but its real purpose is keeping automated traffic cameras readable.
In the United Kingdom, splashing a pedestrian by driving through a puddle counts as careless and inconsiderate driving under Section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.11Legislation.gov.uk. Road Traffic Act 1988 – Section 3 The standard penalty is a £100 fixed fine and three points on the license, rising to as much as £5,000 if a court finds the driving particularly reckless.
France has required every driver to carry a breathalyzer kit since 2012. The technical fine for non-compliance is €11, though enforcement has been inconsistent. Sweden has required headlights on during all daytime driving since 1977, regardless of weather, to improve vehicle detection during long twilight seasons.
The often-repeated claim that Danish drivers must check under their vehicles for sleeping children before starting up doesn’t map to any verifiable Danish statute. It may be an informal driving-test recommendation that hardened into a “law” through retelling.
Personal Bodies and Identity
Japan’s “Metabo Law,” introduced in 2008, requires annual waist measurements at mandatory health checkups for people aged 40 to 74. The government-set maximum for men is 33.5 inches. Individuals aren’t fined; companies and local governments are penalized if their covered populations miss national targets, which pushes employers to run exercise and diet programs.
South Korea’s “Shutdown Law” once banned online gaming for minors between midnight and 6 AM, with companies facing fines up to 10 million won (around $8,500) and individuals risking two years in prison. It was abolished in 2021 after years of criticism that it was ineffective. Canada’s Criminal Code Section 49, which made it an offense to do any act intended to alarm the reigning sovereign, was repealed in 2018.12Justice Laws Website. Criminal Code RSC 1985 c C-46 – Section 49
What Happens If You Actually Break One
Most of these laws are enforced selectively, but selective enforcement is not no enforcement. Tourists have been arrested in Thailand for lèse-majesté, fined in Venice for sitting in the wrong spot, and deported from the UAE for public displays of affection. If you’re detained abroad, the U.S. embassy can provide a list of English-speaking attorneys, contact your family with your permission, and visit you in custody. Consular officers cannot get you out of jail or override local law.
Before you travel, enroll in the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) for safety alerts and legal updates on your destination. The country-specific pages on the State Department website flag unusual local laws that catch visitors off guard.13USAGov. International Drivers License for US Citizens Travel insurance almost always excludes intentional acts and illegal conduct, so any fine or legal bill from breaking a local rule, however obscure, will come out of your own pocket.