The 5 Most Ridiculous New York State Laws

Treason
Temptation is everywhere in New York: beautiful people from all over the world, bars at every turn, an atmosphere of friendly communication all around. But beware! If you came to New York on your own, leaving your spouse overseas, adultery can have consequences beyond public condemnation. After all, the criminal law of the state of New York still provides for liability for “sexual intercourse with another person while he has a living spouse or another person has a living spouse.” Be persistent — you should not risk imprisonment for up to one year.

People in masks
“Okay,” you think, “temptation is temptation, but you can just have fun! I’ll buy myself a Darth Vader mask and go to a Star Wars fan meetup.” Alas, you will have to be on your guard here too. If, upon arriving at the meeting place, you see another person there with a Vader mask, or Yoda, or any mask at all, turn around and leave. The fact is that the same Criminal Law prohibits a person with a mask from being in a “public place with other persons disguised or hidden in a similar way.” You may face a fine for this.

Performances from windows
And yet you’re in New York, where absolutely everything inspires: streams of people, skyscrapers, ethnic cuisine, yellow taxis… I just want to open the window of my rented apartment with Airbnb in Brooklyn, go out onto the fire escape landing, turn on the music to the fullest and start dancing. But do not take the example of Eddie Murphy: public performances of this kind “from any window or open space of any house or building” are prohibited by the Administrative Code of the City of New York. Puppet shows, ballet and dancing, comedy, farce, plays and other performances are prohibited. So rehearse your stand-up routine away from windows — otherwise the guards may disrupt your plans.

Cat and dog hair
New York is an expensive city. Your trip is coming to an end, and your money supply is rapidly decreasing. But you are not discouraged: in a burst of inspiration from the entrepreneurial spirit of the concrete jungle, you come up with a brilliant business idea: catch cats and dogs, cut them, and sell wool on eBay. Does it sound wild? Definitely. But is it illegal? It turns out that yes. New York State’s Agriculture and Markets Act prohibits trading in “the fur, hair, skin, and flesh of a domestic dog (canis familiaris) or a domestic cat (felis catus or domesticus).” If you really want to make money on pets, it’s better to make a selection of funny pictures with them: at least, the authorities have not yet seen anything illegal on the site “Cats that look like Hitler”.

Tigers and selfies
Having studied the sights of New York in detail, you have included the Bronx Zoo in your mandatory program. There are a lot of exotic animals around, and now you come to Tiger Mountain. Without even thinking, you take out your phone, turn your back to the tiger and point the lens at yourself. But before you even have time to say: “Cheese!”, a guard rushes towards you and menacingly shouts something about “put yor camera down!”. You are completely at a loss, but here’s the thing: in 2014, the governor of New York State signed a law prohibiting “direct contact” (including photographing) with “big cats.” Eh, we’ll have to settle for ourselves with a long-eared jumper.