Hawaii's Quirky Law: No Roadside Banana Picking Allowed

Here's a smile-inducing Hawaii statute: It's illegal to pick bananas growing on the side of the road.

The law (HRS §708-822, broadly covering "theft of agricultural products") was reportedly motivated by locals and tourists helping themselves to banana stalks from private farms or state land along highways — especially on Maui and the Big Island — without permission.

While enforcement is rare (it's a petty misdemeanor, max 30 days/$1,000), the rule reflects a deeper point: in Hawaii, "roadside" doesn't mean "public." Much roadside vegetation is on private agricultural land or protected watershed.

Other fun Hawaii laws:

• No billboards (since 1927) — only state with total ban
• No snakes (illegal to own/import) — protects endemic birds
• Coins in ears? Legal tender law technically prohibits "mutilating" coins — but no one's arrested for magic tricks
• State gem: Black coral (not a mineral)

So next time you see a banana bunch by the Hana Highway — admire, photograph, but don't pick. The farmer's livelihood (and the law) say so.