Top 10 Weird Laws in New Jersey, and Which Ones Can Get You Charged

Yes, New Jersey still has some strange laws on the books, and a few of them can lead to a real criminal charge. Selling a car on a Sunday is a disorderly persons offense, selling handcuffs to anyone under 18 is a disorderly persons offense, and carrying a slingshot without a lawful purpose is a fourth-degree crime. Others, like the ban on a TV screen the driver can see, date back to the 1950s but remain in the statutes.

What Are the Weirdest Laws in New Jersey?

These ten are all still in New Jersey’s statutes or regulations. Most addressed a real problem when they were written, even if they read strangely now.

1. No TV Screen the Driver Can See

Under N.J.S.A. 39:3A-1, it is unlawful to drive on a public highway with a television set placed so that its screen is visible to the driver. The law was passed in 1951, long before smartphones and dashboard screens.

2. No Selling Handcuffs to Minors

Selling handcuffs to anyone under 18 is a disorderly persons offense under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-9.2, and police must confiscate handcuffs sold in violation of the law. The offense falls on the seller, not the young person who buys them.

3. No Selling Cars on Sunday

N.J.S.A. 2C:33-26 makes it a disorderly persons offense to buy, sell or exchange motor vehicles on a Sunday. This is a statewide rule, not a local one. The penalties climb with each offense:

• First offense: up to $100, up to 10 days in jail, or both
• Second offense: up to $500, up to 30 days, or both
• Third and later offenses: a $750 fine, up to six months, or both

A licensed dealer can also have its dealer license suspended or revoked. There are narrow exceptions, including for some motorcycle dealers and for deposits on recreational vehicles at authorized off-site sales.

4. No Vanity Plates After Certain Convictions

The Motor Vehicle Commission’s personalized plate application says personalized plates may not be issued to anyone convicted within the last 10 years of driving while intoxicated under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, including refusing a breath test, or of reckless driving under N.J.S.A. 39:4-96. A conviction for death by auto (vehicular homicide) under N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5 bars personalized plates with no time limit.

5. No Selling Dyed Chicks, Ducklings or Rabbits

Under N.J.S.A. 4:22-26, it is an animal cruelty violation to sell live baby chicks, ducklings, other fowl, rabbits, turtles or chameleons that have been dyed or artificially colored. The penalty is a civil fine of $250 to $500, which can be pursued in the name of the town or county where it happened.

6. No Slingshots Without a Lawful Purpose

N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3(e) lists a slingshot alongside gravity knives, switchblades, daggers, billy clubs, blackjacks and metal knuckles. Knowingly possessing any of them “without any explainable lawful purpose” is a fourth-degree crime, which carries up to 18 months in prison under N.J.S.A. 2C:43-6. This is the weird law most likely to show up in a real criminal case, usually added to other charges after a search. See our weapons offenses page.

7. No Plate Frames That Hide Your Plate

That dealer or sports-team frame may be illegal if it covers the state name or the registration number. N.J.S.A. 39:3-33 bars any frame or holder that conceals or obscures them, unless the information can still reasonably be read. The fine is up to $100. A plate frame is also a common reason police give for a traffic stop, which is where many criminal cases begin.

8. No Idling for More Than Three Minutes

Under N.J.A.C. 7:27-15.8, a gasoline-powered vehicle that is not moving may not idle for more than three consecutive minutes. The exceptions include stop-and-go traffic, emergency and snow removal vehicles at work, vehicles being repaired, and engines powering something other than the vehicle, such as a lift gate. Running the heat or air conditioning for the passengers is not an exception.

9. No Selling Dog or Cat Fur

Selling or bartering the fur or hair of a domestic dog or cat, or products made from it, is a fourth-degree crime under N.J.S.A. 4:22-25.3 when the seller knew or reasonably should have known its source. Fur or hair cut at a commercial grooming business, a veterinary office or for scientific research is exempt.

10. No Endless Going-Out-of-Business Sales

Under N.J.S.A. 56:8-2.8, a business may not advertise a “going out of business” sale for more than 90 days, or run more than one such sale within 360 days of the first day of the last one. Each day in violation counts as a separate violation.

Why Weird Laws Still Matter in a Criminal Case

An old or rarely enforced law is still the law. Prosecutors can charge it, and police can rely on a minor violation, like a plate frame, to justify a stop that turns up something more serious. The slingshot and knife provisions are added to charges more often than most people expect.

The grade of the offense decides what is at stake. A disorderly persons offense is not a crime under New Jersey law, but it can still mean up to six months in jail and a record. A fourth-degree crime is an indictable offense. Our guide to New Jersey’s degrees of crimes explains the difference. We defend these cases statewide, including through our Hudson County and Middlesex County offices.

Weird New Jersey Law FAQs

Is it illegal to sell a car on Sunday in New Jersey?

Yes. Under N.J.S.A. 2C:33-26, buying, selling or exchanging motor vehicles on a Sunday is a disorderly persons offense statewide, with narrow exceptions. A first offense carries up to $100 and up to 10 days in jail.

Are slingshots illegal in New Jersey?

Owning one is not automatically illegal, but knowingly possessing a slingshot without an explainable lawful purpose is a fourth-degree crime under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3(e).

Is a license plate frame illegal in New Jersey?

Only if it conceals or obscures the state name or the registration number so they cannot reasonably be read. The fine is up to $100 under N.J.S.A. 39:3-33.

How long can you idle your car in New Jersey?

No more than three consecutive minutes for a gasoline vehicle that is not moving, under N.J.A.C. 7:27-15.8. Stop-and-go traffic and a few other situations are exceptions; running the heat or air conditioning is not.

Can you get a vanity plate in NJ with a DWI?

Not within 10 years of a DWI, refusal or reckless driving conviction, according to the MVC’s personalized plate application. A vehicular homicide conviction bars personalized plates permanently.

Is it illegal to sell handcuffs to a minor in NJ?

Yes. Selling handcuffs to anyone under 18 is a disorderly persons offense under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-9.2, and the handcuffs are confiscated.

Charged Under an Unusual New Jersey Law?

William Proetta Criminal Law has over 15 years of criminal trial experience in courts across New Jersey. Whether the charge is a slingshot, a weapon found in a search or a ticket that led to something more, we look at the statute, the stop and the evidence. Call (201) 793-8018 for a free, confidential consultation, 24/7, or contact us online. Se habla español.