Georgia is the largest state east of the Mississippi, the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coca-Cola plus the largest US peanut producer. It’s also a beautiful place, with a lot of interesting and exciting spots to visit like Amicalola Falls, the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park (with over 35 acres) or the wonderful Georgia Aquarium (which is one of the biggest in the world).
If you are planning a visit here it’s also a good idea to be aware of the plenty of weird Georgia laws that you may want to avoid breaking and getting into trouble.
1. In Roswell, Georgia, erotic dancing is prohibited on Sundays
Well, that’s a bummer, isn’t it? But there still are 6 days for this to happen so we guess it’s alright then.
2. In Dublin, driving a car through a playground is apparently bad
Who would have thought? It might sound like a weird thing to be mentioned and turned into law but there are some people out there that may not understand why doing this would be a bad idea.
3. No peanut butter in school
In Cobb County, no peanut products are allowed on the premises of Nickajack Elementary School. We don’t know exactly what happened here to explain why such a rule was needed but it must have been serious.
4. Wearing hoods in public is not permitted
Doing this in Dublin will get you in trouble for sure as they don’t allow any hoods that may conceal someone’s identity.
5. Do you have a rat poison permit?
Without it you are not allowed to spread rat poison anywhere in Dublin, Georgia, not even your own yard. It seems they take doing this very seriously and a permit is always needed.
6. No dead animals on a neighbor’s lawn
We wonder if many people used to do this or why this law had to be enacted. It should be clear that no one should ever do this but maybe also having a law against it is not a bad idea. This particular law is from Conyers but maybe other states could add it as well?
7. Sitting on your porch, in an indecent position is a no-no
In Columbus this is the law and it makes one wonder what they mean by an “indecent position”. Could we maybe get a few descriptions? That would be fun.
8. No corn flakes on Sunday
Stores are forbidden to sell corn flakes on Sundays in Columbus. So, if you’re a big fan of corn flakes, better get them in advance.
9. Waving a gun in public will get you fined
And that’s not weird. What’s really weird is that the fine for shooting a gun is smaller than actually waving it?! Yes, you can read that again. Apparently this makes sense in Columbus.
10. Burying someone under a sidewalk of a cemetery is a bad idea
In Columbus this is not allowed and is frown upon.
11. You shouldn’t have a picnic in a graveyard
Some people might find this… relaxing? But it would be weird to see someone having a picnic inside a graveyard, no? Shouting and loud noises or any disorderly conduct are also prohibited in a graveyard in Columbus.
12. Swimming in ponds in Columbus is allowed but if you have a proper bathing suit
What a proper bathing suit means is not specified clearly but we can guess. There’s also mentions of where you are allowed to swim and where you shouldn’t.
13. Stink bombs are bad
And are not allowed within city limits. You can’t sell, use or have in your possession any devices or annoying substances like stink bombs. Where? Columbus, of course.
14. Burning a cross on someone’s property in Columbus is ok…
As long as you have their permission it seems this is in order for some reason. And it’s also ok to paint or modify crosses or similar objects when there’s permission from the home/property owner.
15. Wearing hats in movie theaters is illegal
And we can guess why. Since this can bother other people in the theater it shouldn’t be allowed. This is a rule/law that is present in other US states as well.
16. Why did the chicken cross the road?
We don’t know but if that chicken crossed the road in Quitman, Georgia then he’s in trouble as this is not allowed to do that there. And it’s not just chickens but other animals as well like cows or other livestock. The owners of such livestock are liable for anything bad happening in this case.
17. Profanity over the telephone is against the law
Some people are prone to do this and those must be very careful when in Columbus, Georgia. They can and will get fined if an officer of the law sees or hears them.
18. Pinball is not allowed after 11 PM
If/when you’re under 16 years of age you are not allowed to play any kind of amusement machines after 11 PM. Where? Athens again.
19. Whistling after 11 PM is illegal on Mondays
Why would this law be in effect only on Mondays? Why not on other days of the week as well? We don’t know but it seems it makes sense in Athens, Georgia.
20. You must not entice people with… goldfishes
Animal giveaways (goldfish, reptiles, birds, etc) must not be used as an enticement for people to enter contests, games (like bingo) or be used to lure people to enter a certain establishment.
21. No piggyback riding
In Atlanta, a man may not be on another man’s back. Why this is not allowed, we don’t know. And what happens when a man has his son on his back? Is that allowed?
22. In St. Mary’s, you can’t spit on the sidewalk… after dark
It seems it’s ok to do this during the day but not after dark for some weird reason.
23. In Marietta citizens can spit from a truck but not from cars or buses
Weird enough? If anyone can make sense of this, please share your thoughts in the comments.
24. In Acworth all citizens MUST own a rake
It’s not clear why this is so important.
25. In Atlanta you can’t just tie your giraffe to a telephone pole
It’s clear this law is very old and doesn’t make sense anymore but it once did.
26. In Kennesaw ALL head of families MUST own a firearm
It seems this was passed as a reply to a handgun ban from Morton Grove, back in 1982. The law was later amended to exclude people that do not want to own a firearm.
27. Anyone up for an orange peel bath?
Not in Georgia you don’t. This is banned here.
28. Changing clothes on a mannequin must be done with the shades down
It’s a bit strange to ask this of stores since we’re talking about mannequins and not real people.
29. In Gainesville, chicken MUST be eaten with your hands!
Because what other way is it, right? There’s actually an ordinance about this, believe it or not. Gainesville is considered the poultry capital and they have some poultry related laws and ordinances to go along with it. It seems this particular ordinance was a joke on a few Atlanta DJ’s which were in Gainesville a few years ago. The police department created this ordinance specifically for the DJ’s.
30. In Georgia, it’s illegal to promote a private lottery
At first glance you’d be happy to see Georgia authorities protecting people but then you hear that there is an actual lottery operated by the government. Say what? So the state can operate one but no one else can?
31. Raffles must be registered with the local sheriff or else..
If that doesn’t happen then a fine of $10.000 will be given which also comes with 5 years in jail!
That’s all from us! Do you know of other weird Georgia laws you’d like to share in the comments? We’d love to hear from you.
Recommended reading next: 22 Weird Pennsylvania Laws: No Fireworks Or Dynamite Fishing
Is it illegal to give a piggyback ride in Georgia?
Yes, that is correct. In Atlanta, Georgia this is illegal.
Is it illegal to have ice cream in your back pocket in Georgia?
Yes. It might sound weird and this is an old law from back when people used ice cream cones to attract horses and try to steal them. We know it sounds weird but it happened. It’s illegal to do this just on Sundays.
Can you ride in the back of a pick up in Georgia?
Yes, IF you are over 18 and on an interstate highway or IF you are over 16 and NOT on an interstate highway.
I’m a passionate writer with an insatiable curiosity for history, obscure facts, and the weird corners of the internet. When I’m not fact-checking bizarre stories or diving into historical mysteries, I’m exploring the strange and unusual to bring you the most fascinating tales.
A self-proclaimed weirdness enthusiast, who loves turning the odd, the quirky, and the unbelievable into engaging stories for curious minds.
My kids sometimes call me the walking Wikipedia, which can get very annoying sometimes.
