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Weird Tennessee Laws

Below are a few weird Tennessee laws. 

Sec. 19-101. Electrically charged garbage cans. - Knoxville

It shall be unlawful for any person to erect, construct or maintain any apparatus or device which would electrify or electrically charge any garbage, trash or refuse container or any object or structure or facility in close proximity to such container, such that any person coming into contact with such container, apparatus, structure or facility will receive an electrical shock. (Code 1962, § 28-401)

Sec. 19-69. Taking unsolicited photographs in public place. - Knoxville

It shall be unlawful for any person to take un-requested pictures of pedestrians or other persons and to solicit by card or otherwise the sale thereof on the streets, sidewalks or other public places in the city. (Code 1962, § 28-316)

Sec. 19-132. Expectoration. - Knoxville, and most other Tennessee cities

No person in the city shall expectorate on any sidewalk or street, upon any floor in any public building, or upon any other public place. (Code 1962, § 28-501) 

Sec. 19-186. Fortune telling. - Knoxville

(a)   Prohibited acts.  No person shall advertise by sign, circular or handbill or in any newspaper, periodical, magazine or other publication, or by any other means, to tell fortunes, to find or restore lost or stolen property, to locate an oil well, gold or silver or other ore or metal or natural product, to restore lost love or friendship or affection, or to unite or procure lovers, husbands, wives, lost relatives or friends, for or without pay, by means of occult or psychic powers, faculty or forces, clairvoyance, psychology, psychometry, spirits, spiritualism, mediumship, sayership, prophecy, astrology, palmistry, necromancy, graphology or other crafts, science, cards, talismans, charms, potions, magnetism or magnetized articles or substances, oriental mysteries or magic of any kind or nature, or numerology, or engage in or carry on any business the advertisement of which is prohibited by this section. 

(b)   Exemptions.  The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not be construed to include, prohibit or interfere with the exercise of any religious or spiritual function of any priest, minister, rector or accredited representative of a bona fide church or religion where such priest, minister, rector or accredited representative holds a certificate of credit, commission or ordination under the ecclesiastical laws of a religious corporation incorporated under the laws of any state or territory of the United States of America, or any voluntary religious association, and who conforms to the rights and practices prescribed by the supreme conference, convocation, convention, assembly, association or senate of the system of faith with which he is affiliated; provided, however, that any church or religious organization which is organized for the primary purpose of conferring certificates of commission, credit or ordination for a price, and not primarily for the purpose of teaching and practicing a religious doctrine or belief, shall not be deemed to be a bona fide church or religious organization. 

(Code 1962, §§ 28-700, 28-701)

Sec. 19-212. Permitting minor to play miniature games, pinball machines on commercial premises during certain hours. - Knoxville

(a)   No owner, operator, manager or person in charge of any fair, amusement park, theme park, restaurant, cafe, filling station, beer tavern, hotel, motel, drugstore or any other store, establishment or other place of business shall allow any person under the age of eighteen (18) years to play or operate, during regular school hours or after hours of any curfew imposed by law, any game of miniature football, golf or baseball, pinball machine or any other miniature game, whether made playable by mechanical device or otherwise, or whether or not the charge for playing is collected by mechanical device.

(b)   This section shall in no way allow any person under the age of eighteen (18) years to play a device on which there is imposed an occupational tax on coin-operated devices under U.S.C. title 26, section 4461(2).

(c)   It shall be the exclusive duty of the owner, operator, manager or person in charge of any such place to ascertain or determine the age of any such player, and ignorance of the age or misinformation relative thereto shall not excuse any such operator, owner, manager or person in charge.

(Code 1962, § 28-801)  

Sec. 5-13. Riding or herding animals on median strip separating traffic lanes. - Knoxville

No person shall ride or herd any animals on any median strip separating traffic lanes on any city street.

(Ord. No. O-484-93, § 1, 8-31-93)

Sec. 5-32. Sale or giving away of animals on streets, sidewalks, outdoor commercial areas or other public property. - Knoxville

It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or give away any animal on the city streets, sidewalks, outdoor commercial areas, specifically including parking lots, or public property within the municipal boundaries of the city.

Sec. 42-137. Miscellaneous prohibited noises enumerated. - Brentwood

Sec. 5-901. Sunday shows regulated. - Clarksville

No theater shall conduct any show, exhibition, or entertainment or sell tickets or otherwise be open to the public on Sunday before the hour of 12:30 p.m. (1963 Code, § 5-3)  

Sec. 5-902. "Barkers," outside music prohibited. - Clarksville

No "barker" or other such person shall urge or invite people to patronize or enter any theater. Neither shall any music be played which sounds outside the theater for the purpose of attracting the attention of the public to the theater. (1963 Code, § 5-4)  

Sec. 10-210. Disorderly house. - Clarksville

It shall be unlawful for any person to keep a disorderly house or to permit anyone to be disorderly in his house or in any premises in his possession or under his control. (1963 Code, § 19-12-1) 

Sec. 10-238. Vulgar language. - Clarksville

No person in the city shall use any vulgar, profane, or indecent language in any public street or other public place or in any place of business open to public patronage. (1963 Code, § 19-43)

Sec. 12-99. Fortunetelling, palmistry and similar activities. - Germantown

(a)   It shall be unlawful for any person, for hire or reward, to foretell, reveal, disclose, divine or attempt to foretell, reveal, disclose or divine any event, past, present or future by means of the possession or alleged possession of an occult or mysterious power, whether the same is manifested through medium sitting, medium control, table rappings, hand readings, cards, clairvoyance, fortunetelling, palmistry or phrenology, or in any other mode or fashion.

(b)   Any person who receives any kind of gratuity or reward for foretelling, revealing, disclosing, divining, or attempting to foretell, reveal, disclose, or divine any past, present or future event by means of occult or mysterious power, or as set forth in subsection (a) of this section, shall be considered as doing such act for hire within the meaning of this section.

(Code 1986, § 15-80)