The 8 Weirdest, Strangest, and Stupidest Laws in New Hampshire

The current Constitution of the state of New Hampshire became effective on June 2, 1784, and over the years, lawmakers in the state have passed a lot of laws aimed at keeping the peace in the ‘White Mountain’ State. 

However, there are a set of laws that border on the peculiar. For instance, you could be fined $150 for repairing benches or picking up litter in the White Mountain National Forest and it is prohibited to bathe within sight of your own house in the daytime.

Below is a fascinating list of eight weird laws from the state of New Hampshire. Some of them have been repealed while others are still in the books.

---

1. Anyone can be a lawyer

Apparently, back in the day, you didn’t need years of college training to be an attorney in New Hampshire. Anybody over the age of 21, is of good moral character and on application to the superior court, shall be admitted to practice as an attorney. This law was, however, repealed when the legislators realized how absurd it was.

2. No picnics in cemeteries

According to the city of Claremont municipal law, it is illegal to use cemeteries as picnic grounds, or consume alcoholic beverages, or bring the same upon the premises. It is also prohibited to walk or be in cemetery grounds any other time other than daytime.

3. Don’t bathe within sight of your house

This weird law was repealed by the state legislature. It stated that “No person shall within the view of any dwelling house or of any public road, street or wharf, in the day time, bathe or swim without necessity, or expose his person indecently in dressing or undressing for the purpose of swimming or bathing, or otherwise, without necessity.”

4. You must always book a hotel room using your real name

In the ‘Granite’ State, you have to use your full name when booking a room in any motel or hotel within the state’s borders. Otherwise, you would be considered to be defrauding the management of the premises.

When starting a business in New Hampshire, you need to understand the rules that the state imposes on businesses. Perhaps these guides on how to start an LLC in New Hampshire and how to find a great registered agent in New Hampshire can help you avoid any legal issues when opening or doing business in the state.

5. You can’t help clean this park

Anyone who will be caught picking litter, repairing benches or raking the beaches without a permit in White Mountain National Forest will be found guilty of ‘maintaining the park without a permit’,and will be fined $150.

6. Leave the seaweed alone

It is prohibited for any person to collect or carry away any seaweed or rockweed from the seashore below the high-water mark, between daylight in the evening and daylight in the morning.

7. Poor spending could get you a jail term

This is another old law that got repealed recently. It stated that “any person who neglects his employment, misspends his earnings and does not provide properly for the support of himself and family may be sent to the house of correction in the town or county in which such offense is committed.”

8. Don’t play ball in the streets

No person shall insult or wantonly impede any person passing therein; or shall throw any stones, bricks, snow balls or dirt, or play at ball or any game at which a ball is used.

Sources

• Stupid Laws
• Idiot Laws
• Only in your state
• shark1053.com