Weird laws in Maryland and the penalties you could face for breaking them
Maryland is known for its popular tourist destinations, like stops along the Chesapeake Bay and the locations on the Ocean City Boardwalk. Maryland is also famous for its savory seafood, more specifically the state’s sweet blue crabs.
Whether you are a resident or visitor of the state, there are some strange laws you may have never heard of before.
Every state has its own head-scratching laws. Some of Maryland’s can be found below.
Among Maryland’s oddest laws include stink bombs, dyed chicks and “The Star-Spangled Banner.” (iStock)
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- Avoid “stench bombs”
- Be cautious of growing thistles in your yard
- “Star-Spangled” stipulations
- Don’t dye chicks
1. Avoid “stench bombs”
You’re unlikely to find any “stench bombs,” also known as stink bombs, in Maryland.
A stench bomb is a device that lets out a smelly odor once it’s activated.
It’s against the law in Maryland to trade, manufacture or sell the stench-inducing mechanism.
In Maryland law, a stench bomb is defined as “any liquid, gaseous, or solid substance or matter of any kind which is intended to be thrown, dropped, poured, deposited, or discharged for the purpose of producing a noxious, nauseating, sickening, irritating, or offensive odor.”
There is a law in Maryland that prevents the use of “stench bombs,” also commonly referred to as stink bombs. (iStock)
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The fines for breaking this law range, according to Article 19 § 59-30. Those who break the law are “subject to a fine of not less than $5 and not more than $500 at the discretion of the court.”
2. Be cautious of growing thistles in your yard
Growing thistles? You may want to think twice before doing so in Maryland.
Numerous kinds of thistles are considered to be “noxious weeds.” Noxious plants are illegal to grow in most states.
Maryland Agriculture Code Section 9–401 lists the plants and weeds that are determined to be noxious.
Among them are “thistles belonging to the asteraceae or compositae family, including Canada, musk, nodding, plumeless, and bull thistle” and “Johnsongrass (sorghum halepense) or hybrids that contain Johnsongrass as a parent.”
Many kinds of thistles are considered to be “noxious weeds” in Maryland law. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
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“Shatter cane and wild cane (sorghum bicolor)” are also on this list.
3. “Star-Spangled” stipulations
Maryland is the birthplace of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” having been written by Francis Scott Key in Baltimore.
There are numerous states that have laws that regard how “The Star-Spangled Banner” is performed.
“‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ shall not be played, sung or rendered in the City of Baltimore in any public place, or at any public entertainment, or in any theatre or moving picture hall, restaurant, or cafe, except as an entire and separate,” Article 19 § 49-1 states.
“Nor shall “The Star-Spangled Banner” or any part thereof or selection from the same be played as a part or selection of a medley of any kind,” Maryland law states.
Maryland is one U.S. state that has stipulations in the law regarding the performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” (iStock)
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“Use for dancing or exit march prohibited,” the law states, which also requires those playing the national anthem to stand.
Those who break this law could be fined up to $100.
Massachusetts is another example of a state that has a law surrounding singing and playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
4. Don’t dye chicks
In Maryland, it’s best to let chicks be, as changing their color by dying them can land you in trouble.
It’s against the law to “sell, offer for sale, barter, or give away a chick as a pet, toy, premium, or novelty; or color, dye, stain, or otherwise change the natural color of a chick,” according to Maryland Criminal Law Code § 10-614.
The fine for changing the color of a chick is an amount up to $25.
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