"This bylaw is very real and you can read it in the Little Rock, Arkansas, municipal code. Some sources online condense the bylaw by saying it prohibits honking at sandwich shops, but that is not entirely true. It's any place that serves sandwiches or cold drinks. If you stop to consider what that means, it's essentially any restaurant at all. The wording is a little obtuse, but Little Rock doesn't want you honking your horn after dark near restaurants."
"When the law was first enacted, the fine was a staggering $2, though it could have been as high as $5. This is because it dates back to the 1920s, and that's the heart of why this law exists in the first place. When drive-in restaurants first appeared, diners had to park and honk for service. The original law prohibited honking after 11:00 p.m., and in the 1960s, city officials lowered the limit to 9:00"
Weird and outdated local laws often circulate widely without verification. Little Rock's municipal code bans honking near any place that serves cold drinks or sandwiches after 9:00 p.m. The bylaw's wording effectively covers most restaurants rather than only sandwich shops. The ordinance originated in the 1920s during the rise of drive-in restaurants when diners honked for service. Initial fines were nominal ($2, possibly up to $5) but modern enforcement can carry fines up to $1,000. City officials lowered the allowable honking hour from 11:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the 1960s.
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