Posted in Hawaii June 15, 2016 by

Not Many People Realize That These 15 Things Are Actually Illegal In Hawaii

While the beautiful Aloha State has several laws that were created with the utmost concern for public safety in mind, there are a few laws that are so obscure that not many people seem to know about them – even police officers. From outlawing activities that should be simple common sense to avoid, to laws that are clearly never enforced, these 15 laws in Hawaii will leave you scratching your head, wondering how exactly they came to be enacted.

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1. In Honolulu, it is illegal to annoy birds while in the limits of any public park.
Forest and Kim Starr/Flickr
I would like to know what constitutes annoying birds.
2. It is illegal to have more than one alcoholic beverage in front of your at any given time.
Nurit Pazner/Flickr
No double-fisting for you! Or even ordering a second drink when your first is almost gone...
3. At one point in time, it was illegal to leave home without knowing your destination.
Steven Worster/Flickr
Maybe because aimless driving leads to more accidents?
4. As of 2014, it became illegal for police officers to have sex with prostitutes during an investigation.
Jonas Schmid/Flickr
Shouldn’t that have always been against the law?
5. It is illegal to place coins in your ears.
Adam Cohn/Flickr
So much for that classic magic trick where you pull coins out of another person's ear...
6. While we’re talking about ears, it is also illegal to have a tattoo behind your ear.
Steven Pisanto/Flickr
Unless in the presence of a registered physician, of course.
7. As of January 1, it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase or use tobacco products of any kind.
Kanaka Menehune/Flickr
I guess that’s one way to get young adults to stop smoking cold turkey.
8. Breaking off mineral deposits and speleothems from a cave is unlawful.
Jeremy Nicoll/Flickr
Because we believe in preserving Hawaii’s natural beauty.
9. This may be a no-brainer, but feeding sharks is illegal.
Amy/Flickr
Speaking of sharks, anyone in possession of the fin of a shark can be imprisoned for up to one year.
10. In the ancient Hawaiian Orakama tribe, it was illegal for a man to eat his second wife.
Brian Talbot/Flickr
But eating your first wife is not only legal – it’s encouraged?
11. It is illegal to use imitation milk in a milkshake without warning.
New1mproved/Flickr
I wonder how much milk producers paid to enact that law.
12. Killing a seeing eye dog is against the law.
Swong95765/Flickr
Shouldn’t it be illegal to kill any dog, anywhere?
13. It is unlawful for a shooting gallery to offer liquor as a prize.
Ryan Ozawa/Flickr
Because you don’t want the shooter to try again after consumption of said alcoholic beverage, of course.
14. It is against the law to display captive dolphins and whales.
Justin De La Ornellas/Flickr
I’m not quite sure how Sea Life Park got around that one…
15. Apparently, it is illegal to appear in public wearing only swimming trunks.
www.BlueWaikiki.com/Flickr
If this is an actual law, it is definitely not enforced.

Do any of these laws surprise you? What other interesting Hawaii laws do you know about? Share them with us on our Only In Hawaii Facebook page!

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