List of items for which possession is restricted

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Contraband consists of items of which possession may be illegal, depending on the variety and the country or the age or sex of the possessor. One can be punished for having such an item, even if one has paid for it, made it oneself, or is in possession of it without knowledge.

1 Weapons
2 Information
3 Animals
4 Chemicals
5 Burglar tools
6 Miscellaneous
7 Items during a protest
8 Notes

[edit] Weapons

Guns - see also Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
Biological weapons and Chemical weapons
Knives and other weapons, depending on circumstances
Explosives: for example, Semtex or dynamite
Some items, which are often not considerd to be weapons, such as whips or bows are age restricted. A person under 21 may not use such an item without an instructor present.

[edit] Information

Pornography - this varies immensely from country to country and by culture
Hate literature - varies according to country
Books which may be considered subversive or immoral in some countries or cultures (see List of banned books).
Certain software e.g. advanced encryption algorithms, PGP or GnuPG, DVD decryption software such as DeCSS, etc. in some countries.
Official secrets

[edit] Animals

Wild animals, especially in cities or without special training
Possibly dangerous domesticated animals, such as a pit bull
"Livestock" (as opposed to "pets") under many zoning plans and/or municipal codes
Numerous pets
Dead bodies, in most countries they have to be buried in dedicated areas
Graves unless they've been dug in graveyards
Endangered species, especially birds of prey

[edit] Chemicals

Drugs - this varies immensely from country to country and by culture
Alcohol in various countries.
Certain chemical compounds
- formaldehyde
- materials for clandestine chemistry
Radioactive substances, nuclear materials

[edit] Burglar tools

Police uniforms, or uniforms of other official representatives
Fireworks
Lockpicks
Master keys or skeleton keys
"Slim jim" devices for opening locked cars

[edit] Miscellaneous

Prehistoric fossils and other archaeological artifacts without government permission
Goods resulting from another crime, such as stolen goods or forged credentials
Radar detectors
Headlights with blue dots
Blue lights under cars
Studded tires
Dyed gasoline
Food stamps
spray paint - possession by minors is forbidden in some places to prevent graffiti
1933 U.S. 20 dollar gold coin
Too many animals in one dwelling
Too many residents in one dwelling (so, too many children)
Too many vehicles (parked on premises, whether operational or not)
Refrigerators with doors attached
Car keys while intoxicated
Home distilling apparatus, equipment for making moonshine
Ancient finds (treasure trove)
Chewing gum in Singapore. 1 year jail. Possible exemption for medical use eg nicotine replacement.

[edit] Items during a protest

Mask - For example, in California no protester may wear a mask. The law was initially created to force members of the Ku Klux Klan to show their faces, but the same code was later invoked to prevent protesters from wearing gas masks.

[edit] Notes

There are often obligations related to possessions, such as paying taxes, and making sure they cause no danger or damage.
Even if a possession is legal, carrying it is not always allowed, e.g. alcohol within sight of a football pitch in England, and a weapon in many cases.
Plants taller than 8 inches in one's yard are not allowed in Elsmere, Delaware, (Newspaper articles) and grass and certain kinds of plants (termed "weeds") taller than that are proscribed by most municipal codes or restrictive covenants.