From 8,789 real municipal codes
Fun facts from America's local laws
Everything below comes straight out of published municipal codes — quotes are verbatim, numbers are computed across the whole library. Updated 2026-07-11.
Search your town's code
Strange codes
Limerick, PA — Limerick, PA's code specifically bars carnivals from blocking 'sight triangles' (the sightlines drivers need at intersections).
“The carnival shall not obstruct sight triangles.”
Ch. 184 (Zoning)
Somewhere, a code drafter pictured a Tilt-A-Whirl parked right where cars try to see oncoming traffic — and legislated against it.
Ask Limerick's code →
Miami Lakes, FL — Miami Lakes, FL forbids carnival rides or any mechanical rides in its Parks.
“Carnival rides or any mechanical rides are forbidden in the Parks.”
Ch. 18
North Bay Village, FL — North Bay Village, FL groups amusement rides, carnival equipment, and noxious odors together as prohibited items in one code section.
“§ 96.06 - Amusement rides, carnival equipment, and noxious odors prohibited.”
municipal code
Mendota, CA — Mendota, CA makes it unlawful to simply 'frequent' a pool hall.
“9.16.020 - Unlawful to frequent pool hall.”
municipal code
You don't even have to play — just hanging around a pool hall could get you in trouble here.
Ask Mendota's code →
Port Washington North, NY — Port Washington North, NY bans roller-skating specifically in the shopping center.
“No person shall roller-skate in the shopping center.”
Ch. 121 (Parking)
Wildwood, NJ — Wildwood, NJ prohibits roller skating on its pedestrian mall.
“No person shall roller skate on the said pedestrian mall.”
Ch. 19 (Pedestrian Malls)
George West, TX — George West, TX makes it unlawful to keep or maintain any donkeys within the city.
“It is unlawful to keep or maintain any donkeys within the city.”
Ch. 8
Hammond, LA — Hammond, LA prohibits leaving horses or mules hitched to vehicles.
“Sec. 7-48. - Unlawful to leave horses or mules hitched to vehicles.”
Ch. 7
A rule that assumes tying your mule to a car (or wagon) is a real temptation worth outlawing.
Ask Hammond's code →
Red Bank, TN — Red Bank, TN prohibits horses and mules from sidewalks.
“Sec. 10-805. - Horses and mules prohibited on sidewalks.”
municipal code
West Jefferson, OH — West Jefferson, OH bans riding or bringing a horse, mule, or pony into its parks.
“No person shall ride or bring into the parks any horse, mule or pony.”
municipal code
Leadville, CO — Leadville, CO prohibits riding or taking a horse or llama on the pathway.
“No person shall ride or take any horse or llama on the pathway.”
municipal code
Appomattox, VA — Appomattox, VA prohibits keeping livestock, pigs, llamas, and fowl.
“Sec. 6-2. - Keeping of livestock, pigs, llamas, fowl, etc., prohibited.”
Ch. 6
Llamas apparently needed their own explicit mention right alongside the usual barnyard suspects.
Ask Appomattox's code →
Bryan, TX — Bryan, TX's code excludes mini-pigs from its definition of livestock, even while listing llamas as livestock.
“domesticated game animals, and llamas. Livestock shall not include mini-pigs.”
Ch. 10
A tiny pig, it seems, is legally a different animal altogether from a big one.
Ask Bryan's code →
Shawnee, KS — Shawnee, KS's code states llamas shall not be considered an Exotic Animal and may be kept.
“of this Chapter, llamas shall not be considered an Exotic Animal, and may be Kept”
municipal code
Somewhere a Shawnee resident really wanted legal clarity on their llama's status.
Ask Shawnee's code →
DISH, TX — DISH, TX bans miniature pigs and ferrets.
“§ 3.01.014. Miniature pigs and ferrets prohibited.”
Ch. 3 (Animal Control)
Two very different tiny animals, banned together in one tidy ordinance.
Ask DISH's code →
Bristol, PA — Bristol, PA prohibits raising ferrets and/or garbage-fed pigs.
“The raising of ferrets and/or garbage-fed pigs shall not be permitted.”
Ch. 205 (Zoning)
An odd pairing that suggests a very particular history of backyard husbandry complaints.
Ask Bristol's code →
Metropolis, IL — Metropolis, IL requires a license to operate a pinball machine.
“111.15 Unlawful to operate pinball machine without license”
municipal code
Olympia Fields, IL — Olympia Fields, IL prohibits pinball, bagatelle, or pigeonhole games.
“Sec. 12-92. - Pinball, bagatelle or pigeonhole games prohibited.”
Ch. 12
Grand Isle, LA — Grand Isle, LA caps the tax on electronic pinball, flipper, or video game machines at $50.00.
“electronic pinball machine, flipper machine or video game shall not exceed $50.00”
Ch. 22
College Station, TX — College Station bans keeping ostriches, emus, and rheas.
“Sec. 6-152. - Ostriches, emus, and rheas prohibited.”
municipal code
Port Orange, FL — Port Orange prohibits any feathered animals, listing chickens, emus, ducks, and ostriches as examples.
“any feathered animals (e.g. chickens, emus, ducks, ostriches, etc.) are prohibited”
Ch. 17
Kerrville, TX — Kerrville makes it illegal to own, keep, harbor, or maintain an ostrich or peafowl.
“It is unlawful for a person to own, keep, harbor, or maintain an ostrich, peafowl,”
Ch. 18
Webster, TX — Webster prohibits keeping guineas and peafowl.
“Sec. 14-8. - Guineas, peafowl prohibited.”
Ch. 14
Scarsdale, NY — Scarsdale prohibits roosters and peafowl.
“§ 141-16. Roosters and peafowl prohibited.”
Ch. 141 (Dogs And Other Animals)
Flower Mound, TX — Flower Mound prohibits the taking of peafowl.
“Sec. 6-283. - Taking of peafowl prohibited.”
municipal code
Apple Valley, CA — Apple Valley only permits peafowl in the R-A zoning district.
“Except peafowl are permitted only in R-A.”
municipal code
Grand Terrace, CA — Grand Terrace bans loud and boisterous yelling, shouting, whistling, or singing.
“Loud and Boisterous Yelling, Shouting, Whistling or Singing. No person shall yell,”
municipal code
Winder, GA — Winder prohibits disturbing others through hooting, crying, whistling, or loud and unusual laughing and applauding.
“No person, by hooting, crying, whistling, loud and unusual laughing and applauding,”
Ch. 16
Lilburn, GA — Lilburn prohibits selling ice cream near schools.
“Sec. 42-8. - Ice cream sale near schools prohibited.”
Ch. 42
Somewhere, an ice cream truck driver had to learn the hard way where the line is.
Ask Lilburn's code →
Pine Ridge, SC — Pine Ridge requires ice cream trucks to not park in a stationary location.
“Ice cream trucks shall not park in a stationary location.”
Ch. 300 (Zoning And Land Development)
Harper, KS — Harper, Kansas prohibits pouring the contents of ice cream containers onto park grass.
“from ice cream containers shall not be poured on the grass in any park.”
Ch. 36
Stickney, IL — Stickney bans mechanical bulls, trampolines, and dunk tanks on village property.
“Mechanical bulls, trampolines, and dunk tanks are prohibited on village property,”
Ch. 74
Gravette, AR — Gravette, Arkansas prohibits keeping skunks within city limits.
“Sec. 4-9. - Keeping of skunks prohibited.”
Ch. 4
Somewhere, a Gravette resident once really wanted a pet skunk, and the town said no.
Ask Gravette's code →
Oklahoma City, OK — Oklahoma City makes it illegal to own or keep a skunk.
“§ 8-68. - Owning or keeping skunks prohibited.”
Ch. 8
Dunsmuir, CA — Dunsmuir, California bans keeping or possessing skunks in the city, with an exception.
“6.08.020 - Keeping, possessing skunks in the city prohibited—Exception.”
municipal code
Kennewick, WA — Kennewick, Washington prohibits keeping skunks, foxes, or raccoons.
“8.02.026: - Skunk, Fox, Raccoon Prohibited.”
municipal code
Cudahy, WI — Cudahy, Wisconsin bans the sale of bats, foxes, raccoons, and skunks.
“Sec. 4-75. - Sale of bats, foxes, raccoons and skunks prohibited.”
Ch. 4
Not just owning them—Cudahy shut down the entire market for these critters.
Ask Cudahy's code →
Ripon, WI — Ripon, Wisconsin prohibits keeping foxes, minks, skunks, or muskrats within the city.
“No person shall keep within the city any foxes, minks, skunks or muskrats.”
municipal code
Wisconsin apparently has strong opinions about which fur-bearing animals belong indoors.
Ask Ripon's code →
North Kingstown, RI — North Kingstown, Rhode Island prohibits playing jukeboxes during certain hours.
“Sec. 9-103. - Playing jukeboxes prohibited during certain hours.”
municipal code
Addis, LA — Addis, Louisiana prohibits fortune-telling.
“Sec. 8-14. - Fortune-telling prohibited.”
Ch. 8
Rehoboth Beach, DE — Rehoboth Beach, Delaware prohibits topless bathing suits.
“§ 198-13. Topless bathing suits prohibited.”
Ch. 198 (Peace And Good Order)
Green Tree, PA — Green Tree, Pennsylvania requires regular bathing suits and bans cutoffs.
“Regular bathing suits only. Cutoffs prohibited.”
Ch. 305 (Swimming Pools Public)
Cape May, NJ — Cape May, New Jersey prohibits bathing suits during certain hours.
“§ 373-1. Bathing suits prohibited during certain hours.”
Ch. 373 (Peace And Good Order)
A beach town that apparently insists you take them off at some point during the day.
Ask Cape May's code →
Price, UT — Price, Utah prohibits swimming without a bathing suit, but allows an exception.
“9.40.010: Swimming Without Bathing Suit Prohibited; Exception”
municipal code
Beeville, TX — Beeville, Texas bans keeping monkeys and certain livestock.
“Sec. 8-26. - Keeping of monkeys and certain livestock prohibited.”
Ch. 8
La Palma, CA — La Palma, California prohibits monkeys and similar animals from running at large.
“Sec. 8-135. - Running at large prohibited—Monkeys and like animals.”
Ch. 8
Bernardsville, NJ — Bernardsville’s code bans spitting or spouting water in public.
“Spitting or spouting water is prohibited.”
Ch. 10 (Parks And Recreation)
Forest Hills, PA — Forest Hills allows chickens but specifically bans roosters.
“Chickens Permitted; Roosters Prohibited.”
Ch. 2 (Animals)
Little Compton, RI — Little Compton prohibits kite flying specifically on Goosewing Beach.
“Kite flying is prohibited on Goosewing Beach.”
Ch. 9 (Beaches Harbors Recreational Areas And Environment)
Dallas, TX — Dallas bans kites that have metallic frames.
“Sec. 31-8. Kites with metallic frames prohibited.”
municipal code
Presumably a nod to power lines rather than a grudge against arts and crafts.
Ask Dallas's code →
Sacramento, CA — Sacramento prohibits kite-flying and other 'air space intrusions.'
“10.72.050 Kite-flying and other air space intrusions prohibited.”
municipal code
Somewhere a city planner really wanted 'air space intrusions' to sound as dramatic as possible.
Ask Sacramento's code →
Springfield, MA — Springfield’s horse-drawn vehicle rule doesn’t apply to horse-drawn sleighs or sleds.
“This section shall not apply to any horse-drawn sleigh or sled.”
Ch. 338 (Streets And Sidewalks)
Bristol, IN — Bristol bans alcohol, horses, and horse-drawn vehicles in the cemetery.
“Sec. 8-34. - Alcohol and horses and horse-drawn vehicles prohibited in cemetery.”
municipal code
A trio of prohibitions that suggests someone, at some point, tried all three at once.
Ask Bristol's code →
Indianapolis - Marion County, IN — Indianapolis–Marion County restricts holding public or private meetings, gatherings, circles, or seances.
“No person shall hold or give any public or private meeting, gathering, circle or seance”
municipal code
Lead, SD — Lead, SD requires a license to act as a fortuneteller, clairvoyant, palmist, astrologer, or practitioner of hypnotism, spiritualism, magic, or life reading for a fee.
“It shall be unlawful for any person to act as or profess to be a fortuneteller, clairvoyant, palmist, astrologer or a practitioner of hypnotism, spiritualism, magic or life reading for a fee without a license to do so.”
municipal code
Turns out you need paperwork before you can read someone's future for cash.
Ask Lead's code →
Spring Hill, TN — Spring Hill makes it unlawful to conduct business as a fortune teller, clairvoyant, hypnotist, spiritualist, palmist, phrenologist, or 'other mystic endowed with supernatural powers.'
“It shall be unlawful for any person to conduct the business of, solicit for or ply the trade of fortune teller, clairvoyant, hypnotist, spiritualist, palmist, phrenologist or other mystic endowed with supernatural powers.”
municipal code
The phrase 'mystic endowed with supernatural powers' is doing a lot of legal heavy lifting here.
Ask Spring Hill's code →
Greenfield, MA — Greenfield, MA has an ordinance specifically titled 'Throwing snowballs prohibited.'
“§ 385-34. Throwing snowballs prohibited.”
Ch. 385 (Streets Sidewalks And Public Places)
Somewhere in Massachusetts, winter itself is technically illegal. Try telling that to a kid with a snowball in hand.
Ask Greenfield's code →
Tullytown, PA — Tullytown, PA prohibits throwing snowballs, stones, or other missiles in certain places.
“§ 151-26. Throwing snowballs, stones or other missiles prohibited.”
Ch. 151 (Streets And Sidewalks)
Martin County, FL — Martin County, FL bans any person, firm, or corporation from using elephants for rides.
“Elephant rides. No person, firm, or corporation shall use elephants for rides.”
Ch. 9
Oakland, CA — Oakland, CA prohibits the use of bullhooks and other tools for controlling elephants.
“6.04.365 - Use of bullhooks prohibited; prohibited tools for controlling elephants.”
municipal code
A oddly specific bit of animal-welfare law that reads like it was born from a real circus controversy.
Ask Oakland's code →
Decatur, TX — Decatur, TX bans possession of venomous reptiles, elephants, rhinoceroses, skunks, raccoons, and foxes.
“No person may possess a venomous reptile, elephant, rhinoceros, skunk, raccoon, fox,”
Ch. 3
St. Tammany Parish, LA — St. Tammany Parish, LA makes it illegal to feed alligators.
“Sec. 10-693. - Feeding alligators prohibited.”
municipal code
Kiawah Island, SC — Kiawah Island, SC prohibits feeding, enticing with food, harming, harassing, or killing any alligator.
“No person shall feed, entice with food, harm, harass or kill any alligator.”
municipal code
Cincinnati, OH — Cincinnati, OH bans giving a public exhibition or illustration of the effects of hypnotism.
“No person shall give a public exhibition or illustration of the effects of hypnotism”
municipal code
Southampton County, VA — Southampton County, VA prohibits hypnotizing, mesmerizing, or attempting to hypnotize or mesmerize any person.
“No person shall hypnotize or mesmerize or attempt to hypnotize or mesmerize any person.”
Ch. 10
Orting, WA — Orting, WA prohibits silly string and stink bombs.
“712 Silly string and stink bombs prohibited (§ 6-1B-16)”
municipal code
Breaux Bridge, LA — Breaux Bridge, LA bans selling or possessing silly string within 300 (feet, presumably, of something specified elsewhere).
“It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or possess any silly string within 300”
municipal code
Bernards, NJ — This New Jersey town bans petting zoos and circus animals, specifically naming camels and elephants.
“Petting zoos, farm animals, horses, camels, elephants or any other circus animals shall be prohibited.”
Ch. 10 (Municipal Parks Playgrounds And Pools)
Bernards Township apparently isn't taking any chances on rogue elephants crashing the county fair.
Ask Bernards's code →
Albion, PA — Albion, PA restricts residents from keeping a long list of animals—including camels, yaks, and reindeer—unless certain conditions are met.
“It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, partnership or corporation to keep, or cause to be kept, a horse, pony, cow, pig, sheep, cattle, alpaca, mule, bison, camel, deer, reindeer, yak, water buffalo, and turkeys within the Borough of Albion unless:”
Ch. 140 (Animals)
Somewhere in this small borough, someone once tried to keep a yak, and now there's a law for it.
Ask Albion's code →
Miami - Dade County, FL — Miami-Dade County's code explicitly states that a 'kangaroo court' is prohibited.
“Trial of minors, juveniles in Domestic Relations Court, § 21-12; disposition of weapons seized on arrest, § 21-19; kangaroo court prohibited, § 21-23; general penalty for violations of Code, § 1-5.”
Ch. 11
Lindsay, TX — Lindsay, TX defines 'prohibited animals' to include lions, tigers, elephants, monkeys, and venomous snakes.
“PROHIBITED ANIMALS. A dangerous wild animal not normally considered domesticated, including, but not limited to, venomous lizard, poisonous snakes, boa, python, constricting snakes, raccoon, skunk, fox, bear, elephant, kangaroo, monkey, chimpanzee, antelope, deer, lions, tigers, ocelots, cougars, le”
municipal code
A reminder that even small Texas towns have had to legally clarify that you can't keep a tiger in the backyard.
Ask Lindsay's code →
Española, NM — Española, NM bans burning solid waste in the city but allows tumbleweeds to be burned with a fire department permit.
“Burning. It shall be unlawful to burn solid waste of any nature within the City. Tumbleweeds may be burned with the permission and permit from the Española Fire Department. Commercial customers shall receive a permit from the Española Fire Department and the State Environmental Department.”
Ch. 282 (Solid Waste)
Tumbleweeds get their own special carve-out from the general burn ban—truly a desert-town problem.
Ask Española's code →
Cleveland, OH — Cleveland's municipal code lists 'Dueling' alongside boxing and discharging firearms as a regulated activity.
“Boxing; Discharging Firearms; Dueling, RC Ch. 3773”
municipal code
Cook County, IL — Cook County's code refers to a 'Duel Check Valve,' seemingly a typo for 'dual check valve.'
“Duel Check Valve (Carbonated Beverage) (Relief Port Required)”
municipal code
La Crosse, WI — La Crosse, WI's code refers to 'Duel fuel equipment,' apparently meant to say 'dual fuel.'
“Duel fuel equipment. Shall be installed as per manufacturer's specifications.”
Ch. 103
Pilot Point, TX — Pilot Point, TX's code states residents fail to pay bills 'when duel,' apparently a typo for 'due.'
“Fails to pay monthly bills for water and sanitary sewer services when duel; or”
Ch. 13 (Utilities)
Brookings, SD — Brookings, SD's code lists the 'Tasmanian wolf' among prohibited marsupials.
“Marsupials, that is: opossums, Tasmanian wolf, kangaroos, koalas, wombats;”
municipal code
The Tasmanian wolf has been extinct since the 1930s, but this code isn't taking any risks.
Ask Brookings's code →
By the numbers
East Troy, WI packs 89.9 words of municipal code per resident — the most of any sizable town in the country.
East Troy’s published code runs 450,442 words for 5,011 residents. For scale, Sacramento’s code is the longest in raw words (5,282,478) but spread over 535,798 people.
Ask East Troy's code →
Austin, TX mentions bicycles 1,004 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Austin America’s bicycles capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Madison, WI (502).
Ask Austin's code →
Lisbon, WI mentions chickens 190 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Lisbon America’s chickens capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Pleasant Hills, PA (157).
Ask Lisbon's code →
Detroit, MI mentions lawns 279 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Detroit America’s lawns capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Norfolk, VA (249).
Ask Detroit's code →
Toms River, NJ mentions swimming pools 245 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Toms River America’s swimming pools capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Austin, TX (188).
Ask Toms River's code →
Kronenwetter, Marathon Co, WI mentions lawn ornaments 8 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
Centralia, MO mentions dogs 572 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Centralia America’s dogs capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: San Jose, CA (562).
Ask Centralia's code →
Austin, TX mentions fences 685 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Austin America’s fences capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: San Antonio, TX (524).
Ask Austin's code →
Gunter, TX mentions garage sales 83 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Gunter America’s garage sales capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Little Elm, TX (66).
Ask Gunter's code →
Hyattsville, MD mentions leaf blowers 39 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Hyattsville America’s leaf blowers capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Medford, MA (36).
Ask Hyattsville's code →
Mesquite, TX mentions food trucks 252 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Mesquite America’s food trucks capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Harker Heights, TX (218).
Ask Mesquite's code →
Lake Lure, NC mentions golf carts 119 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Lake Lure America’s golf carts capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Emerald Isle, NC (106).
Ask Lake Lure's code →
Skokie, IL mentions beekeeping 118 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Skokie America’s beekeeping capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Holland, WI (82).
Ask Skokie's code →
Belmont, CA mentions goats 70 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Belmont America’s goats capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: Arvada, CO (49).
Ask Belmont's code →
Jefferson, WI mentions clotheslines 20 times in its municipal code — more than any other town in the country.
That makes Jefferson America’s clotheslines capital, at least by weight of law. Runner-up: North Bay Village, FL (15).
Ask Jefferson's code →
Across America 92% of the 8,789 municipal codes in our library mention backyard chickens.
Local law moves in waves — when one town writes a backyard chickens ordinance, its neighbors tend to follow.
Across America 63% of the 8,789 municipal codes in our library mention cannabis.
Local law moves in waves — when one town writes a cannabis ordinance, its neighbors tend to follow.
Across America 40% of the 8,789 municipal codes in our library mention food trucks.
Local law moves in waves — when one town writes a food trucks ordinance, its neighbors tend to follow.
Across America 10% of the 8,789 municipal codes in our library mention drones.
Local law moves in waves — when one town writes a drones ordinance, its neighbors tend to follow.
Across America 7% of the 8,789 municipal codes in our library mention leaf blowers.
Local law moves in waves — when one town writes a leaf blowers ordinance, its neighbors tend to follow.