Lemonade Stands Are Illegal In 35 States Because We Can't Have Anything Nice
Country Time Lemonade is fighting the good fight for kids fined for having lemonade stands
Summer is lemonade stand season and we are here for it. There’s no purer interaction on the planet than stopping by a kid’s stand for a cold glass of lemonade. In exchange, they are making some cash, learning responsibility, and giving their parents a moment of peace — it’s a win-win-win. But did you know running a lemonade stand is actually illegal in 35 states? No, we are not kidding.
If you send your kid out to the bottom of the driveway with an adorable handmade sign and a pitcher of lemonade without a permit or license to sell, you may be setting them up for some pretty hefty fines. Country Time, the makers of the world’s best lemonade (according to me), is stepping up and stepping in to help legalize lemonade stands because of all the things that need legalized in all 50 states, who knew kids selling lemonade was one of them?
Country Time wants you to know it’s not here for this bullshittery and is taking a stand for lemonade stands and kids everywhere. All the “fines, fees, and bureaucratic bologna” kids have to go through to be able to sell lemonade (like a temporary restaurant license in some states — yes, really) is ridiculous.
In order to legalize lemonade, Country Time wants you to “contact your local rep, spread the word, use word of mouth, social media, facts, whatever it takes” to ensure the children of tomorrow can have a fun summer and quench the thirst of neighbors across the land.
The fines kids have received for having an “illegal” lemonade stand are unfortunately no joke. Country Time said in some states families would need to spend upwards of $1000 to have a “legal” stand. Others have been shut down by joyless police officers because they were unable to show the necessary permits required or by neighbors who likes to kick puppies in their spare time.
Country Time has had it with all the nonsense and is putting their money where their mouth is by reimbursing anyone who has been fined during the past two years for operating a stand. If your child received a fine for operating a lemonade stand without a permit during the 2018 or 2019 calendar year, visit their “Legal-Ade” site to get any fines or fees reimbursed. Simply “take a photo of the fine and write brief description of what your child’s lemonade stand means to him or her, in his or her own words,” and if the company hasn’t spent the $30,000 they’ve set aside to right the lemonade wrongs in the world, you’ll get a check in the mail.
So, unless you currently live in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Dakota, Texas, Utah, or Vermont, do your kids a solid and call your officials. The future of lemonade stands depends on it.
