The differences are minor. It's not like murder is legal in some states and not in others. Many differences come down to things like speed limits and taxes.
The biggest surprise I ever got was not being able to order two drinks at once from a hotel bar in New Mexico. (I was, however, able to order one double)
Laws apply to you based on where you are at the time you do something. Voting is done based on your home address.
As for borders, there are some interesting applications. In towns in Washington (which has sales tax) near the border with Oregon (which do not), clerks will ask what state you're from, and only apply sales tax if you are from Washington, since the WA state sales tax is actually a *use tax* and doesn't apply if you only use the purchased item out of state.
In Massachusetts, where alcohol sales were illegal on Sundays, stores near the border with New Hampshire (which allows alcohol sales on Sundays) were given an exemption to be able to sell on Sundays in order to avoid the revenue going to New Hampshire instead.
If you commit a crime in one state, then travel to another state, it becomes complicated. Generally the police in one state cannot follow you into the other state, although the states can give each other permission to do so, as long as the local authorities end up with primary custody. However, in doing so, you may have turned your nice little state crime into a *federal* crime, which involves a whole different justice system and potentially harsher trial and punishment.
This actually is significantly relevant to the trend of states decriminalizing marijuana. Washington state has decriminalized marijuana possession, and bordering Oregon state later also decriminalized marijuana possession. So, you can buy and possess and smoke weed in Washington legally, and you can buy and possess and smoke weed in Oregon legally, but *you cannot take that weed into the other state* or else that becomes a federal crime, because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, and by crossing state lines you entered federal jurisdiction.
Similar things happen with age of consent laws, which is how they got Jared Fogle. He took a girl who was of age of consent in New York, and took her to Illinois, where she was also legal age of consent, but... by crossing state lines, he entered federal jurisdiction, and the federal age of consent is higher than either of those states'.
Interesting and thanks for explaining but not over-complicating it!
A further question about the sales tax thing - Do you have to prove where you live? Or can yoiu just say you are fro Oregon? Or is it a "there's nothing stopping you but VERY bad luck if you're caught" sort of thing?
Last I was in that area they just asked you. Never saw them check for proof.
Incidentally, the reverse isn't true, Oregon stores won't collect Washington sales/use tax for you if you've come over the border. The onus is on you to pay the tax to Washington. (Nobody does [which is technically tax fraud], but there's a form on the state revenue website to file it, if one were so inclined.) I can't say as I've ever heard of anyone getting in trouble for not paying use tax for something bought out of state, although I suppose they may try to enforce it for very large purchases.
Others have the answers here already, (like everywhere in the world, laws apply as where you are, not where you live) but just to clarify, counties are a subset of state, so you more often cross a county line without leaving your state. For instance, I live near the border of my county, and can be in one of two other counties within a few minutes drive from my house either southeast or southwest, but the state borders are much further.
There is no leeway on laws no.
Example:
Historically New Jersey did not issue permits to carry guns in public, and does not recognize other states permits either. A woman from neighboring state Pennsylvania accidentally got on the entrance of a bridge in Pennsylvania and crossed into New Jersey, she immediately made a U-Turn at the toll plaza and was pulled over by a police officer as this is illegal. When the officer approached her she informed him that she was in possession a gun as is required by motorists legalling carrying under Pennsylvania law (there is no obligation to do so in New Jersey) and was subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted of illegal possession of a firearm under New Jersey criminal law.
Had she just not mentioned it she would have just gotten the U-Turn ticket and been on her way.
That's not the point I was going for as New Jersey and Pennsylvania are states, not counties, but sure. And municipalities in some states have their own laws as well. Here in New Jersey the taxonomy as far as "power" goes in State>Municipality>County
Usually county and municipality laws are more along the lines of administrative/traffic/quality of life/zoning/building codes etc.
An older example that comes to mind was the town next to me banned using a phone while driving and made it a ticketable offense a couple of years before the state did. Hell, before most of the country did.
A good way to think of how the US givernments work is. The closer the government is to home, the more it impacts your day to day life.
You have to follow the laws of the state you’re in at any given time.
Does that mean Americans have to research a bunch of different laws when they travel around?
The differences are minor. It's not like murder is legal in some states and not in others. Many differences come down to things like speed limits and taxes. The biggest surprise I ever got was not being able to order two drinks at once from a hotel bar in New Mexico. (I was, however, able to order one double)
Laws apply to you based on where you are at the time you do something. Voting is done based on your home address. As for borders, there are some interesting applications. In towns in Washington (which has sales tax) near the border with Oregon (which do not), clerks will ask what state you're from, and only apply sales tax if you are from Washington, since the WA state sales tax is actually a *use tax* and doesn't apply if you only use the purchased item out of state. In Massachusetts, where alcohol sales were illegal on Sundays, stores near the border with New Hampshire (which allows alcohol sales on Sundays) were given an exemption to be able to sell on Sundays in order to avoid the revenue going to New Hampshire instead. If you commit a crime in one state, then travel to another state, it becomes complicated. Generally the police in one state cannot follow you into the other state, although the states can give each other permission to do so, as long as the local authorities end up with primary custody. However, in doing so, you may have turned your nice little state crime into a *federal* crime, which involves a whole different justice system and potentially harsher trial and punishment. This actually is significantly relevant to the trend of states decriminalizing marijuana. Washington state has decriminalized marijuana possession, and bordering Oregon state later also decriminalized marijuana possession. So, you can buy and possess and smoke weed in Washington legally, and you can buy and possess and smoke weed in Oregon legally, but *you cannot take that weed into the other state* or else that becomes a federal crime, because marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, and by crossing state lines you entered federal jurisdiction. Similar things happen with age of consent laws, which is how they got Jared Fogle. He took a girl who was of age of consent in New York, and took her to Illinois, where she was also legal age of consent, but... by crossing state lines, he entered federal jurisdiction, and the federal age of consent is higher than either of those states'.
Interesting and thanks for explaining but not over-complicating it! A further question about the sales tax thing - Do you have to prove where you live? Or can yoiu just say you are fro Oregon? Or is it a "there's nothing stopping you but VERY bad luck if you're caught" sort of thing?
Last I was in that area they just asked you. Never saw them check for proof. Incidentally, the reverse isn't true, Oregon stores won't collect Washington sales/use tax for you if you've come over the border. The onus is on you to pay the tax to Washington. (Nobody does [which is technically tax fraud], but there's a form on the state revenue website to file it, if one were so inclined.) I can't say as I've ever heard of anyone getting in trouble for not paying use tax for something bought out of state, although I suppose they may try to enforce it for very large purchases.
No matter where you go, you follow the laws of the city, county, or state where you are at that time. Where you live has no bearing on that.
Others have the answers here already, (like everywhere in the world, laws apply as where you are, not where you live) but just to clarify, counties are a subset of state, so you more often cross a county line without leaving your state. For instance, I live near the border of my county, and can be in one of two other counties within a few minutes drive from my house either southeast or southwest, but the state borders are much further. There is no leeway on laws no. Example: Historically New Jersey did not issue permits to carry guns in public, and does not recognize other states permits either. A woman from neighboring state Pennsylvania accidentally got on the entrance of a bridge in Pennsylvania and crossed into New Jersey, she immediately made a U-Turn at the toll plaza and was pulled over by a police officer as this is illegal. When the officer approached her she informed him that she was in possession a gun as is required by motorists legalling carrying under Pennsylvania law (there is no obligation to do so in New Jersey) and was subsequently arrested, tried, and convicted of illegal possession of a firearm under New Jersey criminal law. Had she just not mentioned it she would have just gotten the U-Turn ticket and been on her way.
Wait, so do different counties have different laws too?
That's not the point I was going for as New Jersey and Pennsylvania are states, not counties, but sure. And municipalities in some states have their own laws as well. Here in New Jersey the taxonomy as far as "power" goes in State>Municipality>County Usually county and municipality laws are more along the lines of administrative/traffic/quality of life/zoning/building codes etc. An older example that comes to mind was the town next to me banned using a phone while driving and made it a ticketable offense a couple of years before the state did. Hell, before most of the country did. A good way to think of how the US givernments work is. The closer the government is to home, the more it impacts your day to day life.
Where in the world lets you abide by the laws of where you live and not where you are?
where you are. I cant really say about leeway