Is it Legal to Go Skinny Dipping in the US?
If you were in Congressman Kevin Yoder's shoes you may be wondering is skinny dipping legal in the area where you live?
The junior lawmaker from Kansas stirred up a bit of controversy when it was reported that he and several of his colleagues took a late night dip in the Sea of Galilee in Israel. Without a swimsuit, it was reported that Yoder decided to go au naturale and took a skinny dip near the religious site. The FBI is now looking into the matter, reports Politico.
To avoid the FBI looking into your swimming habits, it's probably best to know is skinny dipping legal first before stripping down.
In the United States, the laws of skinny dipping typically are covered by public indecency laws in the state, county, or town where you live. For example, California makes it illegal to expose yourself in any public place, or in any place where there are other persons who may be offended or annoyed. So you could be charged with a crime regardless of whether you are on public or private property, so long as someone is offended by your nakedness.
Similar to California, Florida also makes it a crime to expose yourself in public. However, unlike California, the individual must have a lewd or lascivious intent to be charged with a crime. So the happy-go-lucky nudist could potentially avoid a criminal charge in Florida.
Generally, you'll have to check the local laws in your area to answer is skinny dipping legal where you live. In the meantime, if you find out skinny dipping is illegal, you may want to plan a visit to one of these top cities for skinny dipping in Europe where public nudity laws and enforcement are famously lax.
Related Resources:
- Republican Congressman Scolded After Drinking and Nudity in Israel (ABC)
- When is Breastfeeding Against the Law? (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life)
- Public Nudity (FindLaw's Answers)