Idaho has been making laws since it became a state in 1890, so it stands to reason that some of them might be outdated, and sometimes downright silly. Here are a few of our favorite weird rules in Idaho.
Turning Left On One-Way Streets
Most states allow left-on-red turns from a one-way street onto another one-way street, but Idaho is one of a handful of states that allows left-on-red turns even if you’re turning from a two-way street.
Fishing Off a Camel’s Back
Passed in 1917, HB 210 had more to do with riding large animals up stream because it can be damaging to trout eggs. East Idaho News reported that the legislation did not mention camels specifically, but you get the idea.
Idaho Deluxe Potatoes
We take our potatoes seriously, but did you know that in order for this root veggie to be considered an “Idaho Deluxe” it must meet a list of guidelines as long as a CVS receipt? Take a deep breath before reading the full list of requirements.
Idaho Deluxe potatoes shall be fairly well shaped, free from freezing injury, blackheart, and soft rot or wet breakdown and from damage caused by dirt or other foreign matter, sunburn, second growth, growth cracks, air cracks…
Idaho Legislature, Title 22, Chapter 9
The Smile Capital
In 1948, Pocatello Mayor George Phillips decided to lift the spirits of residents after a long winter via a “smile ordinance” that made it illegal not to smile within city limits. The city of Pocatello was declared the U.S. Smile Capital in 1987 and grinning has remained a piece of the city’s identity.
Thou Shall Not Fornicate
Sex is cool, but not out of wedlock, according to Idaho law. Legislation 18-6603 deems it illegal for an unmarried person to have sex with an unmarried person of the opposite sex, lest they be fined $300 or risk jail time.
Mythbusting
The most popular legal oddity in Idaho is arguably the one where you can’t go on a merry-go-round on Sundays. It was technically true under a Sunday Rest law passed in 1907 that codified a day of rest from secular labor. Enforcement declined over decades, and the law was repealed in 1939.
While both adultery and out-of-wedlock fornication are illegal in Idaho, there is no ordinance prohibiting kissing for longer than 18 minutes. My guess is that someone had a 19-minute makeout session that left them with sore lips, so they spread this very specific rumor.
