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Weird Laws In Nevada

November 29, 2022

Local News

 

Every state has some laws that will make you scratch your head. They are often very old laws that may have once made sense, but some never served much purpose. Below are some of the weirdest ones in the state of Nevada. 

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No Camels on Highways 

Animals are the subject of a few of the strangest laws in Nevada. One of the most bizarre is that you are not allowed to drive a camel on a highway. That may seem like common sense, but at one time, it was something that was such an issue a law needed to be passed about it. In the late 1800s, camels were brought to Nevada and the quickly expanding west to be put to work, similar to how they were being used worldwide. The camels were a method of transportation for a lot of people in Nevada, so the law was passed and remains in place today. 

Men With a Mustache Can’t Kiss Women 

In Eureka, it is illegal for men with mustaches to kiss women. This one is really strange. Clearly, this law is a little bit outdated and no longer enforced; however, the law is still technically in place. Laws prohibiting facial hair were not terribly uncommon in the 1800s; however, most have been overturned by now. If you are in Eureka and have a mustache, you shouldn’t be too worried – but you never know.

Everyone in Elko Must Wear A Mask 

Maybe the weirdest of all the laws on this list is one in Elko, Nevada. The law states that anyone walking on the street must be wearing some sort of mask. This is yet a law that dates back to the early 1900s; however, this one made sense, especially at the time it was written. In 1918, there was a terrible Spanish influenza outbreak that hit Nevada, and the rest of the country, very hard. The mask law was put in place as a last-ditch effort to stop the epidemic. Obviously, this law is no longer enforced or recognized, but for some reason, it has not been eliminated. 

Can’t Pawn Dentures in Las Vegas 

The next law falls in the category of common sense, so much so that it is hard to believe that there was actually a need to make it a law. In the city of Las Vegas, it is illegal to pawn your own dentures. This could only have been put in place because there were people actually trying to hock their dentures, which is a bit of a strange idea. It is hard to imagine a pawn shop would ever even consider taking used dentures, but just in case they were, this law was put in place. 

Weird Laws in Reno 

The city of Reno gets its own portion of this list because there are a few laws there that really make a person wonder. 

  • In Reno, it is illegal to place a bench or any other seat on a sidewalk or street. This means you can’t put a bench somewhere or even move an existing bench without the proper consent. This law was originally put in place to try and stop the growing homeless problem in the city. 

  • Another law that makes it illegal to lie down on a sidewalk was enacted for the same reason. These laws were supposed to stop the homeless problem, but it just makes it more difficult for homeless people to find a place to go. It is not a solution to the problem, just a temporary fix to keep them out of sight of the public. 

  • The final strange law in Reno is that it is illegal to hide a spray-painted shopping cart in your basement. This one is oddly specific, so it is hard to say why it was put in place. Spray painting shopping carts was a way stores or individuals would try to steal them. Apparently, enough people were spray painting carts and taking them to their basements that a law needed to be made to stop just that. 

While you probably won’t be getting a ticket for breaking any of the laws on the above list, they are still all on the books. It is likely just an oversight that most of these haven’t been removed – unless the state really is worried about camels on the highway or men with mustaches.

 

 

 

 

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