The 10 Weirdest, Strangest, and Stupidest Laws in Alaska

All over the US, there are certain laws and regulations that have managed to remain tucked away from the public. Perhaps it’s for the public good as some of these laws are so ridiculous you’ll be left pondering what situations led to their enactment.

‘The Last Frontier’ is no stranger to weird ordinances. Here’s a list of strange laws in the State of Alaska.

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1. You can’t wake a sleeping bear to take a selfie

Just let the sleeping bears lie. This law was put forward to protect hibernating bears since tourists would waltz into the dens and disturb the animals’ seasonal slumber. Although there is no jail time for the offense, you could risk walking off with a fine or worse, your life.

2. No bows and arrows within city limits

In the city of Nome, Alaska, it is illegal for any person to have in his or her physical possession or discharge an airgun, bow and arrow or slingshot within the city.

3. No drunken moose in town

City officials in Fairbanks, Alaska, have made it illegal to give alcoholic drinks to a moose. They did so to try to stop a local tavern keeper from getting his pet moose drunk and to prevent the animal’s frequent drunken rampages. Perhaps the guides on how to start an LLC in Alaska and how to find a great registered agent in Alaska can help you avoid any legal issues when opening or closing a business in the state.

4. No unauthorized slingshots

Still in the city of Nome, you are not allowed to discharge an airgun, bow and arrow or slingshot within the city. A person may only carry a concealed slingshot if that person has received the appropriate license.

5. Living in a trailer while it’s being hauled is a crime

The city of Anchorage has banned anyone from occupying a trailer while in transit within the city’s streets.

6. Slingshots need to be licensed

If for any reason you would need to carry a slingshot while out and about in the city of Haines, then you’ll need a valid license for it. This law extends to metal knuckles, dirks or daggers.

7. Don’t drop a moose from airplanes.

For 37 years, the small town of Talkeetna in Alaska held a moose poo-dropping contest. This involved painting moose poo, numbering it and dropping it from a helicopter onto a target. But in 2009, the festivities came to a halt when PETA launched a campaign to stop the dropping of a real moose from a helicopter. The entire scenario was a huge misunderstanding as both sides tried to explain what the event was really about. Eventually, city officials stepped in and stopped the festival by banning both the mooses and their droppings from being flung out of a helicopter.

8. Children should not build snowmen taller than themselves

Alaska has experienced pretty severe snowstorms and during these situations it is hard to distinguish between the snowmen and real children covered in snow.

9. Don’t tie your dog to the roof of your car

This ordinance from Anchorage, Alaska, states that “No person driving a motor vehicle shall transport any animal in the back of the vehicle in a space intended for any load on top of the vehicle on a street unless the space is enclosed or has side and tail walls to a height of at least 46 inches extending vertically from the floor, or the animal is -tethered to the vehicle or is protected by a secured container or cage, in a manner which will prevent the animal from being thrown, falling or jumping from the vehicle”.

10. “Attractive nuisances” are banned

This one is from Soldotna, Alaska. An “attractive nuisance” is basically any object that will attract a bear (i.e., garbage, fish, beef, etc,). By discouraging bears to come around, dangerous encounters between humans and bears including expensive bear relocations or shootings are reduced.

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