22 verified laws filed under Civil Registration & Documentation, each checked against the statute and sourced.
The claim that Botswana requires all residents to register bicycles with the government and display official registration numbers is false. No such law exists in Botswana's Road Traffic Act or any other national legislation.
Liechtenstein did not grant women the right to vote at the national level until July 1, 1984, making it the last country in Europe to do so. The right was approved by a male-only referendum with just 51.3% in favour — a margin of only 119 votes.
Bolivia legally requires all citizens aged 18–69 to vote in elections. Those who fail to vote and don't pay the fine lose access to banking services, public office positions, and passport applications for 90 days.
The claim that Ghana makes it illegal to name a child after a day of the week without first registering the name with local authorities is false. No such law exists in Ghanaian legislation.
Romania does have pet registration and identification rules — but they apply firmly only to dogs at the national level. The claim that all domestic cats must be registered with municipal authorities and taxed annually is not supported by primary Romanian legislation.
Icelandic law requires dog owners to register their pets with local municipal authorities and pay an annual fee. While the national Animal Welfare Act (No. 55/2013) sets the framework, enforcement is delegated to municipalities — and a 2023 report found only about a quarter of Reykjavik's estimated 10,000 dogs were actually registered.
Sweden requires all parents to submit their child's proposed name to a government agency for approval within three months of birth. Names that could cause offence or discomfort to the bearer are rejected — as famously demonstrated when the 43-character name 'Brfxxccxxmnpcccclllmmnprxvclmnckssqlbb11116' was denied by a district court.
In Peru, voting is legally mandatory for all citizens aged 18–70. Those who skip an election without a valid justification face monetary fines and loss of access to key public services — but the exemptions go well beyond just medical excuses.
A widely circulated claim states that Nigerian law prohibits parents from giving a child a name that could be considered insulting to the government or state. No such law exists in Nigeria's statute books.
New Zealand's Registrar-General has the power to decline registration of baby names deemed undesirable in the public interest, including names that might cause offence to a reasonable person, are unreasonably long, or resemble official titles or ranks without justification.