The following was posted on the Ice Cream Journal as a two-part entry in 2007 about an unusual ice cream law in Newark, NJ. By the way, here in Lancaster County, you’re allowed to buy, sell and eat ice cream whenever you want!
PART ONE
According to DumbLaws.com (and several other websites), in Newark, New Jersey it is illegal to sell ice cream after 6pm unless the customer has a note from his or her doctor.
We can’t imagine a medical condition for which the prescription is a double scoop of chocolate chip cookie dough, but whatever it is, it doesn’t sound too bad. Do you think Newark has ice cream addicts who forge prescriptions in order to satisfy their Sunday evening ice cream habit? We really hope it doesn’t come to that.
And what happens if a police officer catches a shop owner breaking the ice cream law? Do they take away your scoop? It’s funny to imagine the Newark Police Department setting up sting operations outside of suspected illegal ice cream vendors and barging in with badges and guns drawn, ordering everyone to “put your spoons on the floor and step away from the ice cream cone!”
PART TWO
In our last post we talked about the old Newark, New Jersey law that states that it is illegal to sell ice cream in Newark after 6 pm on Sundays unless the customer has permission from his or her doctor. It sounds pretty strange, so we did some poking around to find out if this outdated rule is still enforced.
None of the restuarants we talked to had even heard of the law. A few of them ended our conversation as soon as we mentioned the law and asked if they sold ice cream on Sunday evenings. Perhaps they were afraid we were a police informant of some sort. The New Jersey Restaurant Association was also unaware of the 19th century rule.
Before we ended our brief investigation, we went right to the source of the law’s enforcement: The Newark Police Department. There, we spoke with a clerk from the Laws Department who was unable to find any immediate record of the law, but agreed to fax us a form to initiate a more in-depth search.
So there you have it. The Newark ice cream law is probably on the books somewhere, but known by very few (and enforced by no one). We know that ignorance of the law is no defense, but in this case, we’re guessing what you don’t know, won’t hurt you.
Tags: ice cream, turkey hill
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[...] A fellow blogger wrote a fantastic post today on “Ice Cream Journal » SECOND SCOOP: STRANGE ICE CREAM LAW IN NEW JERSEY”Here’s ONLY a quick extractThe Ultimate Holiday Recipe Contest is here! Submit a recipe using our Eggnog or Peppermint Stick flavors and you could win a year’s supply of Turkey Hill ice cream. Send your entry to icecreamjournal@gmail.com. … [...]
Can you imagine it’s 6.01 pm and you’re jonesing for a scoop of peppermint and mint choc chip dbl scoop. I dare any guy to try and take away a ladies scoop or chocolate! LOL good luck!
Do you take ice cream for granted? Ever think of what your life would be without it? I am employed as a corrections officer, and the facility I work at does not serve ice cream to the inmates. They also do not have vending machines. So, if you are incarcerated, you could go a very long time with no ice cream. Something to think about!
Wow I couldn’t imagine a minute without being able to buy ice cream. I am glad the law seems like a myth, because Turkey Hill needs to be sold at all hours, it is so good!
Hi Turkey Hill fans, I am so glad that law is not in Maryland. I would be braking it all the time. Everyone have a
a safe and bless Thanksgiving Day. I will have Turkey Hills Vailla Ice Cream to go with my pie and cake this thanksgiving day.
OMG, I am so glad we don’t have a law like Newark. The isn’t a night or day for that matter that we don’t have ice cream. Just yesterday we had it twice, in the afternoon and in the evening (8:30). Sure glad didn’t have to have prescriptions for twice in a day.LOL. Linda
So I guess when I eat ice cream I’ll have to remember it’s doctor’s orders!
That is one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard of. All these years I thought I was a law-abiding citizen and now I find out I could be breaking the law constantly! I hope they don’t put me in the Correctional facility where Robbin works where no ice cream is available. Life without Turkey Hill would be a cruel and unusual punishment.
Laws like this one have probably been on the books for years – possibly over a hundred years. They may have made sense then but of course times have changed. No one took the time to review the laws and remove the more ridiculous ones. To avoid disobeying this law just have enough Turkey Hill on hand so you have no need to go out after 6 P.M. and buy some.
Glad I never needed ice cream in Newark after 6PM, but I couldn’t even imagine going to Newark after dark unless it was an emergancy and I was well protected.
Good thing no one enforces that one. Amazing how silly our laws can be!
How bizarre!!! I never heard of that before. I live in NJ and can’t even imagine such a law.
If in NJ, most likely had to do with political corruption & kickbacks. Polititions were probably giving out no-show jobs as “PM Ice Cream Investigators”!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I am glad New York doesn’t have a law like the one in Newark I would be breaking almost everyday.
Have lots of TH Ice Cream and Pie for THanksgiving …. perhaps I’ll mold a TH Icecream TUrkeyor Pumpkin for dessert!
Hey, we all know there are lots of laws on the books that aren’t enforced, and most of them have nothing to do with ice cream!
Too bad we don’t punish the white collar criminals who have gotten away with putting this country into massive debt…take away their ice cream and everything else they own, that’s what we say!
do you suppose that this law is only for selling at ice cream shoppes and not super markets? very funny, so glad no one really knows about it
Not being allowed to buy ice cream–that is a crime in itself!
i can’t imagine!
You shouldn’t be in Newark after dark anyway for a ice cream run. Travel to the next town.
Love the eggnog flavor, like to add some to hot chocolate
I am pretty sure that the time you are talking about is when we in NJ had the Blue Law, which was everything was closed on Sunday and if not closed it was closed early. I lived 15 mins from Newark, and I do remember something to that affect lol! I remember the stink when a store opened on a Sunday, but yes they did close at 6pm when opened.
WOW! HAVE YOU ALL TRYED THE PARTY CAKE FLAVOR YET FROM TURKEY HILL? IT’S JUSTS SIMPLY IRRISSITIBLE!!!
LIKE EVERY OTHER FLAVOR OF TURKEY HILL, OF COURSE!!! 
Apparently Ice-cream is the drug of choice in Newark and the authorities have decided to limit your intake in the evenings. “Please tell me if you have ever heard of an ice-cream drive-by???” If a woman is pregnant and just needs to have the 1/2 gallon of rocky-road, her loving husband must risk being arrested to get it for her? That is kinda funny? I can just hear the calls out the windows at night in the neighborhood…”Joe, did you get your ice-cream?, I’ll give you 20 bucks for 1 scoop!!!” HA HA “Gina, come quick, my dad just came home and he got the last two 1/2 gallons of party cake they had!” Yeah, pretty funny! Newspaper headline…”MAN ARRESTED FOR GETTING 2 SCOOPS TWO MINUTES TOO LATE!”
That was a surisning to me not being allowed to buy the ice cream due to the law, it sounds funny to me. I love ice cream and speccialy the party cake flavour of Turkey Hill.
Love TH
Turkey Hill is my FAVORITE thing of all! I have been ‘low-carbing’ since August and this is killing me! PLEEEZE can I get any others to vote for a low-carb Turkey Hill? Just sign me ‘Missin’ My T.H.’
I LOVE party cake! I can’t keep it in the house, I will eat the whole thing myself in one sitting, it is so addicting! LOL
Sounds like some lawmakers had too much time on their hands!
I LOVE ALL FLAVORS OF TURKEY HILL ICE CREAM.I WOULD NEVER SURVIVE IN NEWARK,NEW JERSEY. I EAT TURKEY HILL ICE CREAM EVERY NIGHT AFTER 6 OCLOCK.
Wow! I don’t live in Newark, but visit often for business, Theatre & Hockey games. I think I have broken this law already there.
There are so many laws that are outdated and need to be amended. I can see where ice cream might have been the object of scrutiny. It probably was considered sinful because it is so irresistible especially Turkey Hill Ice Cream. As my one year old grand-daughter says yummy yummy when eating her favorite Black Raspberry Turkey Hill Ice Cream.
is this law still in effect today in 2010?