We’ve shaken our heads plenty when the lawmakers head down to Springfield (har har). But what about the REALLY weird laws in Illinois that are somehow on the books? There are quite a few stupid laws in Illinois that we’ve come across in our research, so we’re counting down our ten favorites. Be prepared to wonder… a lot… about where these dumb laws in Illinois came from.

1. In Champaign, you can't pee in your neighbor's mouth.
Sean/Flickr
Well, there go our Wednesday plans.
2. In Chicago, you can't give whiskey to a dog.
Dominick Guzzo/Flickr
But what if he likes it?!
3. If you don't have a dollar on your person, you can technically be arrested for vagrancy.
Nicolas L/Flickr
4. You cannot fish while sitting on a giraffe's neck in Chicago.
enjosmith/Flickr
You know, as one often does.
5. You'd better not hum on a public street on Sunday in Cicero, because it's against the law.
Don Harder/Flickr
We don't know why you would even consider doing such a heinous thing to begin with. How could you?!

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6. You are prohibited from eating inside a burning building when you're in Chicago.
Joseph Krawiec/Flickr
...Great, now there goes our Thursday plan.
7. In Chicago, you're prohibited from taking a French poodle to the opera.
VirtualWolf/Flickr
This law is terribly unfair, because everyone knows that French poodles are dogs of high class and much culture. To fail to bring your French poodle to the opera is to fail to love your dog, and we here at Only In Illinois just can't get behind that.
8. It's against the law to drive without a steering wheel in Decatur.
Jaguar MENA/Flickr
9. The Joliet Municipal Code actually has an entry with instructions on how to appropriately pronounce "Joliet."
David Wilson/Flickr
10. It's illegal to wear sagging pants in Collinsville.
Steve Baker/Flickr

While it’s unlikely you’d ever be arrested or fined for any of these weird laws in Illinois, it’s amusing that they are all still on the books!

We love hearing fun facts about Illinois, so if you have any to share, please do so in the comments!

 

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Weird Laws In Illinois

Tori Jane | October 19, 2021

What are some fun facts about Illinois?  

Every state has its own set of fun, strange, or otherwise interesting facts that most people don’t just happen to know off the tops of their heads. Well, we’re here to change that for you today with some fun facts about Illinois. For example, if anyone ever asks you where the world’s largest bottle of ketchup is, you can say it’s in Illinois, and you’ll be right. Illinois – Evanston, to be exact – is home of the original ice cream sundae. Illinois generates more nuclear power than anyone else in the USA, and it is home to the only river that flows backward (seriously). Oh, and if you’re a fan of Twinkies, you can thank Illinois for those, too. The world’s tallest man was born in Alton, Illinois, and he grew to be an astonishing 8 feet, 11 inches tall. He weighed nearly 500 pounds and wore a size 37 shoe. Oh, and 80% of the entire state is farmland. There’s that.  

What are the strangest illegal things in Illinois?  

We bet that there are all kinds of crazy illegal things in Illinois that you’ve done already! For example, in the town of Normal (which might be anything but), it’s illegal to make faces at dogs. You know, because dogs are... easily... offended? We guess? Hm. Oh, and don’t even think about hanging things like fuzzy dice or an air freshener around your rear-view mirror in the car; that’s illegal in these here parts. In Kenilworth, roosters are legally required to step 300 feet back from any place of residence before he crows. Somehow, we feel like that particular law fell on deaf ears. You ever try to get a rooster to do anything? Good luck, fella.

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