New Jersey has quirky, outdated ordinances, particularly in Trenton, where eating pickles on Sundays is technically banned under the historic “Trenton Pickle Ordinance.” Tossing a rotten pickle into the street there is also prohibited, adding to the pickle-themed oddities.​
Pickle Laws
Trenton’s Sunday pickle-eating ban stems from early 20th-century blue laws aimed at enforcing rest and morality, though it’s rarely, if ever, enforced today. The street-tossing rule likely targeted public sanitation in an era before modern waste systems.​
Other Food Rules
Statewide, slurping soup in public is illegal, a nod to dining etiquette from old statutes promoting politeness. Newark once required a doctor’s note for ice cream purchases after 6 p.m., reflecting past health concerns over late-night indulgences.​
Enforcement Status
These laws linger on the books but are considered archaic and unenforceable relics, often revisited for amusement rather than prosecution. Modern New Jersey focuses on active regulations like food safety, not these curiosities.
SOURCES
[1](https://943thepoint.com/blue-laws-new-jersey-you-wont-believe-these-laws-on-the-books/)
[2](https://wobm.com/ixp/942/p/trenton-new-jersey-law/)
[3](https://wobm.com/weird-laws-new-jersey-soup-slurping/)=
[4](https://943thepoint.com/nj-strange-laws/)
[5](https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/we-found-weird-laws-about-food-from-every-state/)
