The 8 Weirdest, Strangest, and Stupidest Laws in Indiana

Indiana is a very conservative state. In fact the state has the third-largest Amish population in the US and 72% of Hoosiers (referring to residents of the state) belong to the Christian faith. With this in mind, you wouldn’t expect anything out of the ordinary to happen in the state.

However, a quick glance at the state’s Constitution will reveal that something’s definitely not right. There are a couple of laws that are so bizarre you’d wonder who thought them up. Below are eight strange laws from the ‘Hoosier State’.

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1. You can opt out of a dependent’s medical care by praying for them.

If you fail to take care of your dependent child’s medical care, Indiana law considers it a class 6 felony. However, if you can prove in a court of law that you provided treatment by spiritual means through prayer, the court shall allow that defense.

2. Liquor stores mustn’t sell iced soda.

According to Indiana Code Title 7.1, liquor store owners are prohibited from storing or selling uncooled and uniced charged water, carbonated soda, ginger ale, mineral water, grenadine and flavoring extracts. Perhaps these guides on how to start an LLC in Indiana and how to find a great registered agent in Indiana can help you avoid any legal issues when opening or closing a business in the state.

3. Horse speed limit

Any person who owns a horse in the city of Indianapolis should bear in mind that all traffic rules apply to their equine friend including a 10 mile an hour speed limit when trotting through city streets.

4. Don’t catch fish with your bare hands

It is illegal to handle freshly caught fish with your hands. The law states that “An individual may not take fish from waters containing state-owned fish, waters of the state, or boundary waters of the state by handling the fish with his/her hands alone”.

5. Don’t sniff glue

According to Indiana Code Title 35-46-6-2 Section 2, it is prohibited by law to “cause a condition of intoxication, euphoria, excitement, exhilaration, stupefaction, or dulling of the senses by ingesting or inhaling the fumes of model glue.”

6. Pi is actually 3

There was this time when the Indiana house of representatives argued that the value of Pi should be rounded off to 3. They passed the motion, but it’s still in limbo with the state’s Senate as they haven’t yet decided on the matter.

7. Monkeys mustn’t smoke cigarettes

This law was enacted back in 1923 after a man was caught walking down the street smoking a cigarette while his pet monkey did the same. It is technically animal abuse.

8. It is illegal to throw an ottoman at your neighbor

The city of Warsaw has a law that states that “It is unlawful for any person to throw any snowball, stone or other hard substance, or any other missile along, across or over any street, alley, sidewalk or other public places within the limits of the city.”

Sources

• Municode
• Justia
• Find Law
• Law Server
• Justia Title 35
• Stupid Laws
• Valpo. Life