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Cursing under the age of 14 is illegal in Indianapolis

Posted at 4:25 PM, Feb 12, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-13 14:45:00-05

INDIANAPOLIS – Similar to many cities in the U.S., Indianapolis still has some outdated ordinances – one which applies to children who let a “bad” word slip every now and then.

In Indy, it is illegal for those under 14 to say a curse word.

According to the general ordinances of Indianapolis, children under 14 can be fined for swearing.

“Profane curses, damns, or swears by the name of God, Jesus Christ, or the Holy Ghost” are off limits, according to the ordinance.

This isn’t Indiana’s only outdated code that makes people say, “you’ve got to be kidding.”

According to board members in Beech Grove, it is illegal to eat watermelon in parks.

While city officials could not immediately find the ordinance on the books, board members confirmed that it had been in place for years.

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A South Bend law makes it illegal to force a monkey to smoke a cigarette. According to the legend, a monkey actually appeared in court for smoking in the 1920s.

In some cases, the laws are no longer documented, but officials have heard of their existence.