# Are there states where something is uniquely illegal? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2021, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195 "2021-08-07T14:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/202 "2021-09-21T14:40:27Z")
> [@UltraVires](#): > > How does it limit the cocktails? It limited the sorts of cocktails they would (or could) prepare. I recall wanting something like a frozen pina colada, which they couldn’t provide. Also, as noted by TroutMan, something that required just a dash of such-and-such would have been impossible. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/203 "2021-09-21T14:55:11Z")
> [@F.U.Shakespeare](#): > > It is also illegal to bring alcohol into Utah, with a few exceptions. E.g, a person flying in from another country can bring two liters of liquor. Utah is kind of nuts about alcohol. Couple of things I encountered: 1. You can’t be served more than one drink at a time. If your beer is low, and you go ahead and order another, the server won’t serve the next beer until the first one is empty. I said to the server “so in order to encourage moderate alcohol consumption, I’m required to chug the beer in front of me before you serve me the one in your hand?” Answer: “Yep.” 2. Liquor by the drink isn’t really a thing in Utah, at least not without hurdles. The establishment has to define itself as a “private club” You go into a restaurant, pay $1 to become a member, and then you can order alcohol. 3. Come to think of it, in Atlanta had the same deal with 24 hour nightclubs. Basically it’s an extra sawbuck on top of the entry charge to declare you a “member” so you can stay out past 2AM or whatever. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/204 "2021-09-21T17:51:40Z")
It’s been a number of years now but when I went to Utah, you had to be a member of a bar to drink there and you had to wait at least one day after paying your membership fee to get to drink. Your membership was good for a year or maybe for life once you paid. BUT if you were from out of town and were staying at a hotel, you could get a free one week membership at nearby bars. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/205 "2021-09-22T16:17:10Z")
In North Carolina if you purchase more than 8 liters of liquor or 50 liters fortified wine from a liquor store you must obtain a transportation permit to bring it home. [Here’s a copy of the permit](https://portal.abc.nc.gov/Web%20Documents/Sections/Local%20ABC%20Boards/5.%20Misc.%20ABC%20Board%20Forms/Purchase%20Transportation%20Form.pdf). It’s only good on the day of purchase, and only good until 9:30 pm on that day. Theoretically, if you need to bring the beverages to another location on a different day you’re to go to an ABC store and obtain another permit. 8 liters seem like a lot of liquor, but if you buy the 1.75 liter handles and you’re purchasing more than 4 different types it pushes you over the limit. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/206 "2021-09-22T16:31:59Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > In North Carolina if you purchase more than 8 liters of liquor or 50 liters fortified wine from a liquor store you must obtain a transportation permit to bring it home. Can you make a purchase, take it to the car, return and make another purchase? That’s what we do in PA and it is perfectly legal. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/207 "2021-09-22T17:49:34Z")
Theoretically, no. Practically you certainly can, but the law states that: § 18B-400. Amounts that may be transported. A person may transport at one time the same amount of alcoholic beverages that he is allowed to buy under G.S. 18B-303(a). Greater amounts of fortified wine, unfortified wine and spirituous liquor may be transported with a purchase-transportation permit under G.S. 18B-403. The Commission may also authorize a distillery representative, in the course of his business, to transport and possess up to 10 gallons of spirituous liquor. (1923, c. 1, s. 25; C.S., s. 3411(y); 1937, c. 49, ss. 14, 16; c. 411; 1967, c. 222, ss. 1, 7; c. 1256, s. 3; 1969, c. 598, ss. 2, 3; c. 1018; 1971, c. 872, s. 1; 1977, c. 176, s. 1; c. 586; 1979, c. 607, s. 1; 1981, c. 412, s. 2; 1985, c. 757, s. 163.) I don’t know the exact penalty, the statute in Brunswick County, NC states that a violation is a misdemeanor to be punished by a fine or imprisonment or both. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2021, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/208 "2021-09-22T18:05:14Z")
In Pennsylvania we can buy beer by the case from a distributor. From a bar or other seller we can by two six packs (the law tells how many ounces). But, that is per sale. I can buy two sixes, put them in my car, then go right back in and buy two more, rinse/repeat ad nauseam. It costs more than buying by the case, but if I’ve done this on holidays when distributors were closed, making ten trips back and forth. ---
**Author:** ![Precambrianmollusc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/precambrianmollusc/32/63_2.png) [@Precambrianmollusc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Precambrianmollusc)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2021, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/209 "2021-09-28T14:47:06Z")
It reads like the law in NC is about transporting , so they only sell the max amount to you so they don’t sell more than the law allows you to transport, and you go back and buy more, but are still breaking the law. In the PA case is the law about how much they can sell in one exchange or how much you are allowed to carry. Given you can buy a slab the I’d guess it’s just daftness about the license laws and limits on sales to try to make it a bit less convenient to buy lots… ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2022, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/210 "2022-09-04T13:58:31Z")
A post was split to a new topic: [Bixnood Troll posts](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bixnood-troll-posts/970933) ---
**Author:** ![fedman1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e495f1/32.png) [@fedman1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman1)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/211 "2022-09-05T01:28:43Z")
there are many states like that–Ohio, Washington, I think Michigan ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/212 "2022-09-05T01:38:49Z")
Oregon was like that when I lived there, but I moved to California in the mid-90s, so can’t vouch for current conditions. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2022, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/213 "2022-09-05T12:24:47Z")
It used to be illegal to sell alcohol in Colorado on Sundays. So you better plan ahead. Now it is legal. You can now also buy beer (no wine or spirits) in grocery stores. So that’s nice. Also we used to have 3.2 beer in grocery stores, you could buy that at 18. That went away, got to be 21 now and grocery stores sell real beer only. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/214 "2022-09-06T00:09:40Z")
Kentucky recently passed a law to criminalize abuse of pets in the context of spousal abuse. Apparently it’s designed to crack down on spouses who use the threat of or actually harming a pet to keep the other spouse under control. That may not be a unique idea, but I’m not sure such a law in other states specifically exempts livestock and poultry, as Kentucky’s law does. So you could go to jail here for abusing your wife’s dog, but not for kicking her chickens. . ---
**Author:** ![yearofglad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b782af/32.png) [@yearofglad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yearofglad)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/215 "2022-09-06T13:32:12Z")
> [@TroutMan](#): > > Oregon is (for now) the only state where it is illegal to use “buyers’ love letters” in a real estate transaction. These are the letters a buyer provides along with their offer on a home explaining why the seller should choose them. It opens the door to potential discrimination. > > I expect this will not be unique to Oregon for very long. > > [Buyer love letters have been banned in Oregon](https://realtybiznews.com/buyer-love-letters-have-been-banned-in-oregon/98763181/) This ban has been deemed unconstitutional - a violation of the First Amendment (an “overbroad regulation of protected commercial free speech”) - so such letters are legal again in Oregon. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/216 "2022-09-06T17:54:47Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I question the logic of saying a gas station employee will be more environmentally friendly than a car owner. It seems likely to me that a guy who’s paying for the gas and owns the car any excess gas will spill on has more incentive to not overfill his tank. As opposed to the gas station employee who actually to clean up the spill? 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/217 "2022-09-06T23:22:27Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > As opposed to the gas station employee who actually to clean up the spill? I think you’re assuming a lot if you think a gas station employee is going to clean up spilled gas. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/218 "2022-09-07T02:10:03Z")
When I worked at a gas station I had to clean up spills. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/219 "2022-09-07T11:22:54Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > France has some pretty draconian labour laws which limit the hours that staff can work. The legal length of the working week is 35 hours and the working day may not exceed 10 hours. Furthermore, employees may not work for more than 4.5 hours without a break. The maximum working day may extend to 12 hours under a collective agreement. And you couldn’t eat lunch at your desk. > **[Drop that fork! Why eating at your desk is banned in France](https://www.wusf.org/2022-06-10/drop-that-fork-why-eating-at-your-desk-is-banned-in-france)** > > What the French history of the leisurely lunch break can teach us about separating work from rest. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/221 "2022-09-07T14:26:41Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > And you couldn’t eat lunch at your desk. This was not a state (or anything else) law - but a few decades ago, I was working at a place where eating at one’s desk was forbidden. It was a pharmaceutical company, and they had a company-wide ban - something to do with not wanting an employee bringing food through a production floor. Made sense - but the ban applied to the whole company, even where it was strictly an office building. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2022, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195/222 "2022-09-07T14:32:41Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > As opposed to the gas station employee who actually to clean up the spill? > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > I think you’re assuming a lot if you think a gas station employee is going to clean up spilled gas. > [@alphaboi867](#): > > When I worked at a gas station I had to clean up spills. I assume they would clean up spills to keep the job they only have because it’s supposed to provide a wider public benefit. Somebody has to clean up those spills or the those jobs could easily disappear. However, I thought they used the same auto-shutoff pumps used at self service stations and spills would be very rare. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-states-where-something-is-uniquely-illegal/948195.md?page=12)