10 Bizarre Laws Still Enforced Around the World Today
Every country has its own rulebook, but some of those rules read more like punchlines than policy. We’re not talking about ancient, forgotten statutes gathering dust in a basement archive somewhere — these laws are genuinely active, enforceable, and occasionally still land people in hot water today.
We combed through legal codes, government notices, and news reports to find ten of the strangest laws that governments haven’t bothered to repeal. Some exist for surprisingly sensible reasons once you dig into the backstory, while others remain a bit of a mystery. Either way, they’re proof that the law and logic don’t always travel together.
#10. Handling Salmon Suspiciously Is a Crime in the UK
Britain’s Salmon Act 1986 makes it illegal to handle salmon ‘in suspicious circumstances,’ a phrase that sounds like it belongs in a detective novel rather than a legal code. The law was actually written to combat poaching and the black-market trade in illegally caught fish, giving police a broad tool to prosecute suspected fish thieves without needing to prove exactly how the salmon was obtained.
It remains part of English law today, occasionally cited in fisheries enforcement cases. The vague wording has made it a favorite example among lawyers explaining how oddly specific legislation can still serve a serious purpose.
#9. Only Licensed Electricians Can Handle Certain Light Fixtures in Victoria, Australia
In the Australian state of Victoria, swapping out certain light fixtures yourself can technically breach electrical safety regulations if the job involves wiring rather than a simple screw-in bulb. The rule stems from strict licensing laws designed to prevent amateur electrical work that could cause fires or electrocution.
Most households never run into trouble, since standard bulb changes are exempt, but replacing hardwired lighting or certain fixtures legally requires a licensed electrician. Energy Safe Victoria, the state’s electrical safety regulator, enforces these licensing rules, and unlicensed work can result in fines.
#8. Milan's Old Ordinance Requiring Public Smiling
Milan has a long-standing municipal ordinance that technically requires citizens to smile in public, with exceptions only for funerals and hospital visits. Its exact origins are murky, and historians disagree on whether it was ever seriously meant as enforceable law rather than a symbolic civic gesture.
The rule is essentially never enforced today, but it has never been formally struck from Milan’s municipal code, which is why it keeps turning up in lists of Italy’s odder legal quirks. Local officials tend to treat it as a bit of civic trivia rather than an active statute.
#7. Japan's Legal Waistline Limits
Japan’s 2008 ‘Metabo Law’ requires companies and local governments to measure the waistlines of citizens aged 40 to 74 during annual checkups, part of a national push to curb metabolic syndrome and rising healthcare costs. Employers and health insurers who fail to meet workforce reduction targets can face increased contributions under the national health insurance system.
Citizens whose measurements exceed the government-set limits are referred to counseling and dietary guidance rather than fined directly. The measurements are still taken today, making it one of the only laws in the world that puts a number on an acceptable waist size.
#6. Insulting Thailand's Monarchy Can Mean Prison Time
Thailand’s lese majeste law makes it a criminal offense to defame, insult, or threaten the king, queen, heir-apparent, or regent, with convictions carrying lengthy prison sentences. The law is taken extremely seriously and has been applied to social media posts, academic writing, and even theater performances.
Human rights groups regularly criticize the law’s broad application, but Thai authorities continue to actively enforce it, and prosecutions still occur regularly. It remains one of the strictest royal protection laws still in force anywhere in the world.
#5. Singapore's Strict Ban on Chewing Gum
Singapore has enforced a ban on importing and selling chewing gum since 1992, introduced after gum litter began jamming train doors and sticking to public housing walkways. Only gum with therapeutic or dental value, sold through a pharmacist, is legally permitted today.
Bringing in bulk quantities of regular gum can still result in fines, and the law remains a well-known symbol of Singapore’s famously strict approach to public order. Locals often joke that the ban is less about hygiene and more about national reputation management.
#4. Bhutan's Nationwide Tobacco Sales Ban
Bhutan became the first country in the world to ban the sale of tobacco products entirely, a law passed in 2010 rooted in Buddhist principles and public health concerns. Residents are technically allowed to bring in small personal quantities for their own use if they pay import duties, but selling tobacco domestically remains illegal.
Enforcement has continued for over a decade, with penalties including fines and even imprisonment for smuggling large quantities. Bhutan’s approach makes it one of the only nations to treat tobacco commerce as a criminal matter rather than simply a regulated industry.
#3. Running Out of Gas on Germany's Autobahn
Stopping unnecessarily on Germany’s Autobahn is illegal, and running out of fuel counts as an avoidable stop under German traffic law, since drivers are expected to plan their journeys responsibly. Getting caught without gas on the highway can result in a fine, on top of the obvious inconvenience of being stranded on a road with no speed limit in many sections.
The rule exists because sudden stationary vehicles pose serious safety risks on roads where traffic can move extremely fast. German police still issue citations for this today, treating an empty tank as a preventable driving offense rather than bad luck.
#2. Being Drunk in Charge of a Cow in the UK
Under Britain’s Licensing Act 1872, it remains illegal to be drunk while in charge of cattle, a horse, carriage, or even a steam engine on any public highway or licensed premises. The Victorian-era law was written to prevent intoxicated handlers from causing accidents with animals or heavy machinery on shared roads.
While prosecutions are exceedingly rare in the age of cars and trains, the statute has never been repealed and technically still applies today. It occasionally resurfaces in British news stories as a quirky reminder of just how specific old legislation could get.
#1. Denmark's Rule to Check Under Your Car for Sleeping Children
Danish road safety guidance long instructs drivers to check underneath their vehicle for a sleeping child before starting the engine, a habit tied to the country’s widespread practice of letting babies nap outdoors in strollers, sometimes parked near cars. It reflects a broader Danish cultural norm around outdoor infant naps, even in cold weather.
The check is commonly included in Danish driver education materials, and new drivers are taught the practice as part of standard road safety training. It stands out as one of the few driving rules in the world built entirely around a napping habit rather than typical concerns like speed or signaling.
Strange as they sound, these laws usually trace back to a real problem someone was trying to solve, even if the solution looks bizarre through modern eyes. The next time you’re traveling abroad, it might be worth a quick check of the local rulebook — you never know what counts as a criminal offense somewhere else.
