Weird Wyoming Laws, Part 1
Welcome to Wyoming, a state that takes its rabbits, headgear, and public hygiene seriously. Take these laws, for instance. Whether you’re visiting Jackson Hole for the first time or just wondering if you can bring your gun to the local watering hole, here’s your unofficial guide to Wyoming's weird laws, strange statutes, and crazy commandments.
Fishing With Firearms
Yup, it’s apparently illegal to fish using a gun. That’s right—leave the rifles at home, Rambo. It’s supposedly not sporting, but let’s be honest, shooting fast-moving fish while factoring in light diffraction through the water is no easy task.
Spitting in Public Buildings
Let’s add this to the list of weird Wyoming laws that sort of make sense. It’s illegal to spit on the walls, floors, or steps of public buildings. Not just rude—illegal. Rest assured that anyone within sight of schools, courthouses, and hospitals is duly protected from the sordid sight of oozing, displaced saliva.
Wearing Hats That Block Someone’s View
Tall hat wearers among us, beware! At one point, Wyoming had a law that banned hats that blocked other people’s views in places of amusement. It’s another law that seems weird until you consider it for half a second. Nobody pays $12 on symphony tickets so they can attentively watch the back of someone’s Stetson.
Photographing Rabbits in Spring
It was once illegal to photograph rabbits from January to April. A bit of digging reveals it wasn’t just rabbits: Back in 1921, all wildlife photography required a permit and a game warden chaperone. Was it for your protection or the wildlife’s? Who knows. The law doesn’t seem to be on the books anymore, so feel free to violate those rabbits’ privacy like the thoughtless wildlife paparazzi you are.
Showering on Wednesdays
This one’s the stuff of myth and municipal legend: Cheyenne residents were allegedly forbidden from showering on Wednesdays. Do we have proof this law existed? No. Do we deeply want it to be true? Absolutely.
Wondering what other bizarre ways you can get into trouble in Wyoming? Stay tuned for Weird Wyoming Laws Part 2.
***
This post is brought to you by Flat Creek Inn.
Photo credit: Enoch Leung
Ryan Kunz is a copywriter and freelance writer who writes on a variety of topics, including media, the outdoors, and whatever else strikes his fancy. He thinks misspelling "you're" should be on this list.
