Delaware Dumb Laws

Thou Shall Not Bear false Butter 

When you butter your bread in Delaware, rest assured that you’re buttering your bread. After all, state law prohibits passing off products “made wholly or partly out of any fat, oil or oleaginous substance” as butter, which is codified as being produced from “unadulterated milk or cream.” You can still purchase and consume margarine in Delaware, but it must be labeled as such. Moreover, packaging for margarine cannot “contain the word ‘butter’ or any imitation or simulation thereof or any picture or reproduction of a cow.” Source 

Prohibition on Pawning Prosthetics  

Hoping to make some fast cash by flipping an artificial leg at the pawnshop? Well, you can’t do it in Delaware – at least not legally. The state bars pawnbrokers from dealing in artificial limbs and wheelchairs. Source 

Dog and Cat Fur Products 

Some may see the fur shed by their dogs and cats as the price of having a four-legged companion. Enterprising pet owners may see a business opportunity. If you’re in the latter group, we have some bad news: Selling or bartering the fur of domestic dogs and cats – or products made from the fur – is a misdemeanor in Delaware. Scofflaws face fines of $2,500 and a 15-year ban on owning a dog or cat. Source 

Whispering in Church 

The Rehoboth Beach municipal code prohibits whispering during a church service – along with other disruptions, including general noise, talking and rude or indecent behavior. The prohibition isn’t limited to the sanctuary. Disturbances with 300 feet of a place of worship are outlawed. Source