North Dakotan’s May Not Know They Are Breaking These Laws

Most people have a pretty clear idea if they are breaking the law or not in most instances.  However, there are some laws that you may be breaking right now that you had no idea existed.

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These are five of them that probably make you a hardened criminal without you even realizing it.

Failing to update your driver license when you move

If you move and fail to update your driver's license information, you may receive tickets or possibly have your license suspended. This is the consequence of failing to notify your state's Department of Motor Vehicles of your new address. In North Dakota, you may use your non-commercial license from another state, like Arizona or California, for no longer than 60 days after you become a resident of North Dakota.

Sharing medication

Both federal and state laws make possessing or using medication not prescribed to you illegal. But people get nearly 60% of prescription drugs used non-medically from family and friends, according to the American College of Preventative Medicine.

North Dakota, along with many other states, does have a drug take-back program and offers two different options to dispose of unwanted or expired medication. Take-Back sites are located at local law enforcement agencies and, unless otherwise noted, are open 24 hours a day. MedSafe sites are at participating pharmacies.

Playing poker for money at home

Believe it or not, some states prohibit even a friendly game of poker in the comfort and privacy of your home—if it involves money. Your home poker game may be legal or illegal in North Dakota based only on the stakes, thanks to an exception for social gambling. According to the North Dakota Century Code's Section 12.1-28-02(1), the game is unlawful if any player wagers more than $25 on a "individual hand, game, or event."

So playing for quarters with family at Thanksgiving is personally fine, but those games in the garage with your friends when you push all in on a pair of fours may be against the law.

Singing Happy Birthday, Christmas songs, or the Macarena in public

Singing well-known songs aloud in public may constitute Back in the '90s, the American Society of Composers, Author, depending on the situation (such as the loudness and crowd size). The Girl Scouts were asked to pay royalties by the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) in the 1990s for teaching campers how to dance the Macarena.

Connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi

Because of ambiguous language in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) (words like "without authorization" and "obtain information"), you could potentially face criminal charges if you connect to an unsecured WiFi network or break the online terms of services of a business or website (which not many people actually read).

Additionally, nearly every state has basic computer security legislation. However, you most likely won't get imprisoned for stopping by a coffee shop and grabbing a free connection.