Every state in America has its own general laws, those rules and regulations residents must follow or face legal action.

But not every law on the books still makes sense. Some might have you wondering if they ever made sense.

In Rhode Island, there are about a dozen laws left on the books that make you wonder how they became laws in the first place, or why such laws were ever actually needed.

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With New England including some of the oldest states in the nation, it's no surprise that the list of strange laws is long. Some are extremely specific to the coastal area.

In Massachusetts, for example, it's illegal to use tomatoes in the production of clam chowder. (Keep it classic apparently.)

In Connecticut, it's against the law to go clamming at night.

New Hampshire has laws against raking a beach without a permit and picking up seaweed from a beach.

In Vermont, there is no whistling underwater allowed. In Maine, one cannot have Christmas decorations up past January 14.

While these laws may have made total sense to the residents of the specific communities where they were passed, today they just sound a little weird.

Several Rhode Island laws take the cake when it comes to strange.

Some of these laws stem from the strict blue laws the Ocean State has had in place since colonial days, while others seem newer, though just as odd.

Here are the weirdest laws still on the books in Rhode Island:

15 of the Weirdest Laws in Rhode Island

The world has changed and yet some laws have stayed the same.
These are some of the strangest laws still on the books in Rhode Island.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

Massachusetts Laws You Don't Even Know You're Breaking

There are a lot of strange laws still on the books in Massachusetts, many that also carry actual punishments and fines. Though we're pretty sure no one has been arrested for the crimes we're about to list, we're also pretty sure you have violated at least one of these laws in the last month or so.

Gallery Credit: Nancy Hall

These Common Plants Are Illegal in Massachusetts

Massachusetts plant lovers, beware! Many of our most recognizable flora are actually common because they are super successful invaders, and are taking out our native plants.

The state has made it illegal to sell, grow, spread or propagate them — trust us, they don't need any help. Here's a list of some of the most widely known plants that actually don't belong here.

Gallery Credit: Kate Robinson

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