© Shutterstock

Singing 'Happy Birthday' - If you sang the joyous song in public before 2016, you were breaking the law. The song was copyrighted for $25 million in the '80s, making it illegal for public use until it was moved to public domain.

© iStock

Using public unsecured Wi-Fi - If you use a public Wi-Fi without permission, called "piggybacking," you could be punished with fines and even jail time in certain states. A Michigan man was fined $400 for checking his e-mail!

© iStock

Downloading music - Though streaming services have significantly decreased the number of people pirating music, everyone had their days on Napster or Limewire, downloading low quality mp3s for free.

© iStock

Streaming shows and movies -

Approximately half of all American millennials watch illegal streams, according to The Infographic Show. It can land you in hot water, so better invest in a streaming service.

© Shutterstock

Sharing an account password - Think you can bypass paying for a streaming service by getting a friend's password? Think again! It's a federal crime to share passwords for a subscription service.

© iStock

Using a fake name online - You wanted to register for a website but you didn't want them to spam your email, so you put in fake information. According to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, you're a culprit.

© iStock

Making a bet with your friends - Whether it’s in a game of poker or workplace fantasy football, the Illegal Gambling Act of 1970 makes it against the law to wager with friends, and if the amount exceeds $2,000, you're officially running an illegal gambling operation.

© iStock

Drinking in public -

Though you love to picnic outside with wine or step outside the bar for some fresh air, drinking in public is against the law in most of the country.

© Shutterstock

Public intoxication - We've all had our dark days (aka college), and unless you live in Nevada, Montana, or Missouri, public intoxication can get you in big trouble. In Indiana, that can be up to 180 days in jail plus a hefty fine. 

© iStock

Drinking underage -

When it seems like the rest of the world starts drinking in their teens, it can be hard to wait until you’re 21. There are many that would be guilty of taking a nip or two before they were legally supposed to.

© Shutterstock

Turning right on a red light - While it's legal in most of the country, some states have stricter rules. It's usually not a big deal, unless you're spotted by a particularly overachieving cop.

© iStock

Littering - You know you shouldn't do it anyway, but if it will make you think twice next time: it's illegal! 

© iStock

Throwing your old cell phone away - Due to the chemicals they produce over time, which end up in water supplies and cause health risks, "e-waste" is illegal in many states.

© iStock

Jaywalking - The crosswalk is a block away but the place you need to go is just on the other side of the road, so what do you do? The likely answer is also the illegal one, though some cities barely acknowledge it.

© iStock

Driving over the speed limit - It's the most commonly broken law in the US that people actually get charged with, according to The Infographics Show.

© iStock

Driving under the speed limit -

You might be cruising a bit slower because you're unsure of where you're supposed to exit on the highway, but it's still illegal.

© Shutterstock

Throwing out an old tenant’s mail - Sure, it's annoying when it piles up, and you're pretty sure it's just junk anyway, but throwing away someone else's mail is a felony under the US Code 1702, which calls it an "obstruction of correspondence."

© iStock

Not updating your driver’s license when you move - Changing your address at the DMV is probably the last thing you're thinking about when moving, but most states require that you do it within a few days.

© iStock

Eating something before you buy it - Whether it's sipping a drink while waiting to check out, or picking at the fruit that's already in your cart, if you eat before you pay, you're an offender.

© iStock

Writing “disturbing” fiction - Be wary of how unsettling your stories are, as some states prohibit the creation of "disturbing material." A teenager was suspended from school and prevented from graduating just for writing a story that spooked teachers, Wired reports.

© iStock

Using your cellphone while driving - It never seems as dangerous as it is, especially when you're only trying to answer a brief message or make a quick call. However the fines are quite heavy in many states, so investing in a hands-free system could save you a lot of money.

© iStock

Rolling through a stop sign - When was the last time you counted "one Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi" before continuing past a stop sign? Everyone's guilty of this one.

© iStock

Sharing medication - It feels fortuitous to have extra prescription pills to give a loved one when they fall ill, but wait! Sharing medication puts you on the wrong side of the law.

© iStock

Not getting a license for your dog - When you get a dog, the last thing you want to do is paperwork, especially when they just want to play. But most states mandate that you license your dog so they can keep track of who's had their rabies shots.

© iStock

Having a permanent marker in public - Anti-graffiti laws in states like New York and Florida make it illegal to possess “broad-tipped indelible markers” in public spaces, and in some states you have to be over 18 to buy one, Cracked reports.

© iStock

Downloading images from the internet - Using a copyrighted image, like stills from movies or a photographer's work, on your Facebook or blog, or even wallpaper, can get you in some legal trouble. 

© iStock

Not wearing a seat belt - It's easy to convince yourself you don't need to wear one when you're just driving around the corner, but if you aren't clicked in, you're breaking the law. Buckle up to avoid huge fines!

© iStock

Peeing outside - This applies mostly to the dark days of being a drunk college student, but most states prohibit any public display of genitalia, plus public indecency might land you in the sex-offender registry.

© iStock

Making that U-turn -

You know you weren’t supposed to do it, and the cops know it too. Will it happen again when no one's around? Probably.

See also: Popular tourist destinations with weird laws (that you should be careful about)

© Shutterstock