Some of the weird laws in Maine that are still on the books include a ban on Sunday hunting, a prohibition on buying or selling cars on Sunday, a crime for leaving an old refrigerator where a child could crawl in, a ban on releasing helium balloons outdoors, a driver’s duty to stop for a frightened horse, and a Biddeford ordinance that fines sidewalk skaters all of $10. None of these are jokes. They carry real penalties, and Maine courts have upheld the oldest of them within the last two years.
Sunday Still Has Its Own Rulebook
Three separate Maine statutes restrict what you can do on Sundays, and each one carries criminal penalties.
Hunting on Sunday Is a Crime
Hunting wild animals or wild birds on Sunday is illegal in Maine, and the ban has been enforced for more than 180 years. The Maine Supreme Court upheld it in 2024, ruling that even the state’s constitutional right-to-food amendment does not override it.1Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 12 11205 – Hunting on Sunday Repeal bills have been introduced repeatedly and have failed. A violation is a Class E crime, which carries up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.2Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 1604 – Imprisonment for Crimes Other Than Murder
No Buying or Selling Cars on Sunday
Maine law prohibits anyone from buying, selling, or trading a new or used motor vehicle on Sunday, and dealers may not open their lots that day either.3Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17 3203 – Sales of Motor Vehicles Prohibited The statute is not limited to dealerships. A private handshake deal in a parking lot on Sunday is technically covered too.
Most Businesses Are Supposed To Be Closed
A broader statute keeps nearly all businesses from opening to the public on Sundays, with narrow exceptions for emergencies, necessities, and charity. There is also a limited window from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays falling between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The same law shuts businesses on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A violation is a Class E crime, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.4Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17 3204 – Business, Traveling or Recreation on Sunday Enforcement is uneven, but the statute gives any resident the right to ask a court for an injunction against a business that opens on a restricted day.
The Abandoned Refrigerator Law
Leaving an old refrigerator, chest freezer, or even a large trunk where a child could climb in is a crime in Maine. The statute reaches any container with a compartment of at least one and a half cubic feet whose door or lid cannot be easily opened from the inside.5Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17-A 514 – Abandoning an Airtight Container It applies whether you dumped the item yourself or you control the property and simply failed to remove it or take the door off.
The language is dated, but the hazard is real. The sweep of the statute is wide: closets, furniture, and old iceboxes all qualify alongside modern appliances. A violation is a Class E crime, carrying up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
Drivers Must Stop for Frightened Horses
Maine still requires drivers to defer to horses and other animals on public roads. If a rider or handler signals that an animal is frightened, every approaching driver must stop completely and stay stopped until the animal has passed safely.6Maine Legislature. Maine Code Title 29-A 2055 – Animals on a Public Way When traveling in the same direction as an animal, drivers must use reasonable caution while passing.
The law goes further. You cannot knowingly operate a vehicle in a way that annoys, startles, harasses, or frightens an animal being ridden or driven near a public road, and you cannot throw any object from a vehicle at such an animal. The rules trace back to the shared-road era of horses and early cars, but they are still fully in effect.
Helium Balloon Releases Are Illegal
Releasing a helium balloon outdoors is illegal in Maine. The state’s litter statute specifically prohibits intentionally releasing any balloon inflated with a gas lighter than air.7Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17 2263-A – Littering The only exceptions are balloons carrying scientific instruments, balloons used for meteorological observation by a government or scientific organization, and hot air balloons that are recovered after launching.
That means ceremonial balloon releases at weddings, memorials, and school events are technically violations. A first-time litter offense can draw a fine of up to $500. A second offense ranges from $500 to $1,000.8Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 17 2264-A – Penalties
Biddeford’s $10 Sidewalk Skating Ban
In Biddeford, skating on any public sidewalk is completely prohibited. The same ordinance also bars riding bicycles on sidewalks. The penalty is a fine of not more than $10.9City of Biddeford, ME. City of Biddeford Code Chapter 62 – Streets, Sidewalks and Other Public Places The size of the fine is a clue to the ordinance’s age. It would barely cover the paperwork for a citation today, which probably explains why enforcement is rare.
Stray Livestock Can Become Town Property
When livestock wanders loose and no owner can be identified, Maine law directs an animal control officer to seize and impound the animal. The municipality then holds the animal for ten days. If no owner comes forward in that window, the town takes ownership and may sell, adopt out, give away, or euthanize the animal.10Maine State Legislature. Maine Code Title 7 4042 – Stray Livestock
One quirk: the statute’s definition of “livestock” specifically excludes feral swine and domesticated deer. A loose cow gets the structured impound-and-claim process. A feral pig is somebody else’s problem.
Why These Laws Are Still Enforceable
Repealing a statute takes the same legislative work as passing one. A bill has to be introduced, moved through committee, passed by both chambers, and signed by the governor. When a dormant law is not causing visible harm, there is little pressure to spend political capital removing it. The result is a code full of provisions nobody actively defends and nobody bothers to repeal.
Long disuse does not make a statute go away on its own. American courts rarely accept the argument that an unenforced law has lost its force, and most of Maine’s odd statutes are specific and clearly written rather than vague. The Sunday hunting ban is a good example: the Maine Supreme Court recently reaffirmed it, noting the “presumption of constitutionality” that attaches to a law more than 180 years old. Until the legislature acts, these laws remain enforceable, and the penalties are the ones printed in the statute, not the ones that feel reasonable in 2024.