Garage sale permits, carrier pigeon safety: 8 obscure laws from Belleville and beyond
Although many laws are common sense, some are head-scratchers.
We’ve rounded up a few current laws and local government ordinances in Illinois and St. Louis you may not know about.
Don’t remove a homing pigeon’s ID
Under Illinois state law, it’s illegal to catch, detain or remove identification from someone else’s Antwerp, show or homing pigeon, if you know it to be such. It’s also illegal to shoot, kill or maim someone else’s carrier pigeon.
If you’re caught removing someone’s pigeon’s ID, you could be charged with a petty offense and fined $50 to $100 per offense.
Forget impromptu garage sales
In Belleville, you must obtain a $5 permit to host a garage sale under current city ordinances.
Additionally, you can only legally host up to three garage sales per year. This rule doesn’t apply to bankruptcy, estate sales or nonprofit sales.
Own more than four pets? Whoops
Under Eureka’s code of ordinances, one residence is limited to housing any combination of four dogs or cats older than four months.
If your cat has a large litter, make sure to find the kittens new homes before you break this rule.
No tunes past 10 p.m.
In Fairview Heights, it is unlawful to sing or whistle on the streets between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. under current ordinances. Also prohibited in these hours are yelling, shouting and hooting.
This provision aims to protect quiet and comfort at people’s places of residence.
Drumming? Not for attention
Another Fairview Heights nuisance ordinance prohibits the use of a drum, loudspeaker or other device for the purpose of attracting people to a performance, show or merchandise sale.
Pushing your endurance
The city of St. Louis does not allow human endurance contests, which are defined by admission-fee based performances wherein any contestant participates for more than 12 hours in one day.
It is also prohibited to permit anyone else to participate in these contests.
The prohibition of human endurance contests was prompted by the tragic death of Jennifer Strange, a 28-year-old woman from California. She died after participating in a “Hold your Wee for a Wii” contest, which she was part of in hopes to win a Nintendo Wii. She was the mother of three children. The contest involved drinking large quantities of water without taking a restroom break.
Leave the flowers untouched
Think twice before cutting a flower or plant in St. Louis. Digging, tearing, pulling or removing any flower or plant growing within any parked area and between the property line and the centerline of any public street in the city is punishable by a $10 to $500 fine. You could also get one to six months in prison.
The owner of property near the plant and their agents are exempt from this law.
Be careful with kites
This is one of those obscure laws with a clear purpose – people and corporations in St. Louis are prohibited from attaching kite strings to any object that can conduct electricity.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 11:41 AM.
