How shocking is it to learn that in the U.S., where you can get in trouble for simply wearing fake mustaches in church, you can legally leak government secrets without the authorities punishing you? Well, including this, here are 17 surprising things that are also legal in the U.S.
Cannibalism
Yes, you can theoretically eat human body parts virtually everywhere in the U.S. without suffering legal consequences. Only the state of Idaho explicitly prohibits cannibalism, while other states and federal laws ignore the topic. However, associated acts like murder or the desecration of corpses are illegal.
Owning a Flamethrower
Flamethrowers, if you didn’t know, are useful for agricultural purposes, so despite what President Biden had to say, CNN tells us that there are no federal laws that prohibit their ownership. The only restrictions are in the states of California and Maryland. In the other 48 states, you don’t even need to have a permit to own one.
Operating a Tank on Public Roads
You can drive a full-fledged military-style tank in most states across the U.S. The typical requirements for you to do this are to only disarm it and have rubber tracks to avoid road damage. Of course, you’ll also need proper licenses and registrations, and some states control how large your tank can be.
Online Gambling
If you live in Connecticut, Michigan, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, you can also make some money through online casinos to varying degrees. The New York Times further reveals that Illinois, Indiana, and Massachusetts will make this legal within the next two years.
Owning a Pet Skunk
You can own a pet skunk in several states across the U.S., but you’ll most likely need a permit and proper import documentation. You may also have to adhere to specific guidelines around housing and care and, in some instances, be instructed to descent them. However, in some other states, you aren’t subject to any restrictions.
Passengers Drinking Alcohol in a Moving Vehicle
We all know that it’s illegal to drink and drive everywhere in the U.S. However, when it comes to passengers, different states have their own laws. While states like New York have bans on even having open bottles of alcohol, passengers can drink in states like Delaware as long as they’re at least 21 years old.
Marriage Between Cousins
Regardless of how morally incomprehensible it is as a marital union, only 24 states completely prohibit first cousins from marrying each other. A total of 19 states see it as harmless, and most of the other seven states only have restrictions around marrying cousins a generation above or below you (first-cousins-once-removed marriages).
Collecting Roadkill
You’re allowed to take roadkill home in 49 states across the U.S., with the exception being Texas, and it doesn’t matter what you want to use it for, whether it be fur coats, scientific research, or just food. In many of these states, however, you may need a permit from the natural resources or police department.
Flying in Hot Air Balloons
If you feel that driving hot air balloons will be a great hobby for you, then you’ll be pleased to know that you’re allowed to do this in the U.S., but you’ll need to have an appropriate license, according to FAR Part 61. While you need 10 hours of experience to drive a hot air balloon for personal fun, to be a commercial pilot, you need 35 hours of experience.
Growing Industrial Hemp
Although made illegal during the mid-20th century, the USDA shares that the Agriculture Improvement Act restored hemp’s status as a legal crop in 2018. State approval and adherence to THC content may be required, but hemp can generally be used for products like textiles, construction materials, and other CBD products.
Home Distillation of Alcohol
Although federal law says it’s illegal to distill alcohol at home for even personal consumption, moonshining, as it’s fondly called, has been made legal in four states in the U.S.: Alaska, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Missouri. Missouri, for instance, allows households to distill up to 200 gallons of alcohol per year as long as they don’t sell it.
Owning a Machine Gun
Civilians aren’t permitted to manufacture machine guns, but it’s still entirely legal for you to own one. All you have to do for this is send an ATF Form 4 application to the federal government for approval, and you may also need to pass background checks and pay tax stamps.
Using Medical Marijuana
As taken from the Mayo Clinic, “U.S. federal law prohibits the use of marijuana. However, many states allow medical use to treat pain, nausea, and other symptoms.” Medical marijuana is legal in 38 states across the U.S., and there must be prescriptions for it from a licensed medical professional.
Using a Radar Detector
Radar detectors are also mostly legal in the U.S., as long as you’re using them in privately owned vehicles, not commercial vehicles, especially if they weigh above 10,000 pounds. However, you should be careful when using them in states like Mississippi and Virginia.
Paying for a Traffic Violation in Coins
Coins are still legal in the U.S., and this means that it is perfectly okay for you to pay fines with them. However, understand that they don’t need to be accepted, and because of this, you may see some jurisdictions reject the payment of fines with large amounts of coins due to the administrative stress it comes with.
Bareness in Your Own Home or Property
This one applies to you if you’re in Florida. As long as you’re within the constraints of your home, even if you’re clearly visible through the windows or out in your front yard, it is perfectly legal for you not to have any clothes on.
Publishing Government Secrets
Thanks to the First Amendment, it’s also legal to leak secrets about the U.S. government without the federal authorities looking for you. However, you’ll have to be a journalist to do this, or you may end up with espionage charges like Wikileak’s Julian Assange.
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