9 of the world's weirdest nudity laws

You know it’s not acceptable to drop trou in public. You know not to send ladies unsolicited pictures of your package. And you know all about nude beach etiquette and how the lights have to be off during sex in Hungary.

But did you know that in Singapore you can't be naked in your own home?!?! Or that until the early 19th century, the country was (possibly) governed by Nevernudes? You didn't, did you? Yea, turns out there are still a lot of weird nudity laws like Singapore's on the books, both in the US and around the world.

How weird? Well, here are 9 of the more outlandish ones.

naked hike
flickr/suzie shaves

Hiking shorts can be so restrictive

Los Angeles, CA
Experience nature au naturel in LA, where people are free to go hiking butt-naked. Who knew?

streaker
flickr/carol browne

You can go streaking on Bourbon Street

Louisiana
Streaking is totally cool in the Bayou, as long as you’re not being too sexy about it. And by sexy, they mean running around naked with “lascivious intent".

naked bed
flickr/katie holliday

Don't even think about getting naked in your own home

Singapore
Wandering around the house -- your house, under your roof -- in the buff is considered pornography in Singapore. Worse yet, police officers are allowed to enter your place to slap you with a three-month jail term or up to $2,000 in fines. Ok, the law stipulates that you have to be exposed to public view, but in notoriously strict Singapore that’s basically any room with a window.

boob
flickr/vernon howl

Underboob is highly illegal in Cleveland

Cleveland, OH
Even the smallest sliver of underboob is considered nudity in Cleveland, and thus, obscene. So don't expect any sexy SI Kate Upton photoshoots from the the banks of Lake Erie any time soon.

nude
flickr/timothy krause<br /> &nbsp;

Topless in New York City?

New York City, NY
Yep, it’s totally cool for the ladies of NYC to bare their breasts in public, just as long as it’s not for “business” purposes (wink, wink).

ladies
flickr/nikol lohr

Get naked on stage, but only if you're being “authentic”

Sanford, FL
Since 1998, women in Sanford can’t be completely naked on stage (they need to wear pasties at the very least)... unless it’s a “bona fide” theatrical show. Strippers tested the law in 2000 with a nude performance of Macbeth and got away with it.

naked at home
flickr/Risto Kuulasmaa

Again, with the naked in your own home thing?

Villahermosa, Mexico
Like Singapore, there's also a zero tolerance nudity policy in Villahermosa. The penalty, however, is a little lighter -- up to 36 hours in jail, or a fine of $121.

heels
flickr/zharth

Dance "topless" in Tampa, but with your top on

Tampa, FL
In a hilariously worded law that clearly contradicts itself, strippers in Tampa may not expose their boobs while giving a "topless" dance and while in the presence of alcohol. Also, they must perform lap dances at least six feet away from the patron, making it more of a “in your general vicinity” dance. Obviously, if you've ever been to Mons Venus then you know these rules aren't closely adhered to.

nude sunbathing
flickr/nathan rupert<br /> &nbsp;

It's an Urban Naked Zone for a reason

Munich, Germany
Germans in Munich combined their love of both nudity and order last year by creating six designated zones specifically for public nudity.


Sophie-Claire Hoeller is Thrillist's über-efficient German associate travel editor, and has had frequent flyer status since she was born in a Lufthansa terminal. Follow her @Sohostyle