New Jersey is a state of laws. Strict gun permitting. Tough DUI penalties. Robust consumer protections. Most of the NJ law book makes sense.
Then there’s the other side. The weird laws. The quirky ordinances that make you ask you say: Really?
Scattered across the Garden State are laws so oddly specific they feel fake. Some date back decades. Others were written to solve problems that no longer exist. Some are merely myths that don’t hold much legal weight.
Here’s a look at some of the weirdest laws in New Jersey, ranging from downright confusing to unintentionally hilarious.
Weird New Jersey Laws
Facial Expressions Matter. Or Do They?
There’s an often-circulated claim that frowning at a police officer is illegal in New Jersey. However, it’s not entirely true. While enforcement is non-existent, the idea alone is enough to make residents double-check their facial expression during a traffic stop. Still, it’s one of the state’s most common legal legends.
So the next time you encounter a police officer, maybe try smiling—you know, just to be safe.
Pets and Partying Don’t Mix
This one makes a bit more sense. In New Jersey, offering alcohol or tobacco to animals is illegal. Obviously, this falls under typical animal cruelty laws. Still, it’s on the books—so don’t give that beer to your dog.
Trenton’s Complicated Relationship With Pickles
In Trenton, it’s illegal to eat pickles on Sundays, according to NJ attorney Jonathan F. Marshall. Additionally, local ordinances ban tossing spoiled pickles into city streets. The laws have been revisited over the years, and still, the pickle restrictions exist.
So, do Trenton restaurants just not serve pickles on Sundays?
Statues vs. Birds
Among the most baffling entries in New Jersey legal lore is a law suggesting that birds are prohibited from defecating on statues, according to Only In Your State. This raises questions, the main one being: How do you enforce that?
To date, no tickets have been issued to birds. At least to our knowledge.
The Laws That Are Actually Enforced—But Still Odd
Some of the unique New Jersey laws aren’t jokes. They’re actually enforced.
- You still cannot pump your own gas in New Jersey. Visitors are often shocked by this, while locals wouldn’t change it for the world.
- Selling handcuffs to minors is a disorderly persons offense. Police can confiscate them on the spot.
- Wearing a bulletproof vest during a violent crime is illegal. For one reason or another, New Jersey decided that protecting yourself on top of committing a felony deserved extra punishment.
- You cannot buy a car on Sunday in the Garden State. Motorcycles are fine to purchase unless a specific town states otherwise through local ordinance.
- Prefer to personalize your license plate? Well, you better not have a DUI. Vanity plates are prohibited for up to a decade after receiving a DUI charge.
Local Ordinances Get Even Stranger
Some of the weirdest laws are hyper-local.
- In Blairstown, trees planted along the street cannot block light. A touch of shade is okay, but there needs to be sunlight peeking through.
- Newark ice cream shops that attract large crowds must provide security after 4 p.m. It feels like this one is written solely for Nasto’s.
- In Haddon Township, it’s illegal too approach a stranger of the opposite sex in public for unsolicited interaction. This one feels like it’s from another era—focused on stopping creeps.
Why These Laws Stick Around
While many of these weird New Jersey laws aren’t actively enforced, removing them requires time and political capital—energy often reserved for more demanding issues.
So they stay.
Every so often, a peculiar local ordinance or forgotten law reenters the conversation, reminding residents that the legal code in New Jersey can be somewhat strange.
It’s just one more thing that makes the Garden State… the Garden State.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.