Maryland’s bizarre laws: From fortunetelling bans to clothesline rights
Maryland implemented new laws on October 1st banning “sextortion” and gay conversion therapy. Still, numerous unusual old laws remain on the books throughout the state and in Baltimore, according to the Baltimore Sun. These outdated statutes reveal how legal codes preserve historical moral panics and social anxieties. From fortunetelling prohibitions to regulations on when laundries can operate, these laws offer glimpses into past societies where legislators felt compelled to codify rules governing behavior that seem absurd today.
The fortunetelling patchwork
Fortune-telling is illegal in Baltimore, with violators facing fines of $500 or up to a year in prison. The Town of Ridgely also prohibits fortunetelling within its limits. However, a statewide ban would be unconstitutional, as Maryland’s highest court ruled in 2010 that fortunetelling for a fee is protected free speech under the First Amendment. Montgomery County’s ordinance banning fortunetelling was struck down by the Maryland Court of Appeals as unconstitutional, which ruled that the practice is protected speech. Calvert County takes a different approach: fortunetellers must apply for and obtain a license from the Clerk of the Circuit Court and pay a $1,000 fee. According to Maryland Local Government Code Section 13-205, applicants must be fingerprinted and photographed by the Department of State Police and obtain a certificate indicating they have never been convicted of a crime other than motor vehicle violations. The license term is only three months, and violations can result in imprisonment of not more than six months or fines of $100 to $500.
Adultery and marriage restrictions
Adultery is prohibited under Maryland law, though the penalty is merely $10 for anyone convicted. Across Maryland, 15-year-old girls can get married only with parental consent and if a physician has examined her and found that she is either pregnant or has already given birth. First cousins can marry, but the law prohibits marriage to grandparents, parents, children, siblings, grandchildren, or various in-law relationships.
Public behavior regulations
No person may spit on sidewalks or hotel lobby floors in Baltimore. It’s illegal to curse while driving or walking down sidewalks in Rockville. Baltimore law makes it unlawful for minors not employed by railroad companies to board or alight from moving railroad cars.
Business and commercial rules
Baltimore law carefully regulates who can advertise “going out of business sales,” with violations incurring fines up to $500. Commercial laundries cannot operate between midnight and 6 a.m. in Baltimore. Maryland landlords generally can’t prohibit tenants from hanging clotheslines.
Military, animals, and sexual conduct
Civilians cannot buy, wear, or sell military uniforms under Maryland law. It’s illegal to import wild rabbits or hares into Baltimore for selling purposes or to harass or kill birds. Oral sex and anal sex are technically illegal under Maryland law, representing outdated morality legislation that remains unenforced.
Conclusion
Maryland’s collection of bizarre laws demonstrates how legal codes become repositories of historical anxieties that persist long after circumstances have changed, raising questions about why legislatures don’t systematically eliminate obsolete statutes.
Related:
- Bizarre historical laws that were once taken completely seriously
- Questionable childhood toys that parents let us play with in the ‘70s
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