Is it Illegal to Have a Lemonade Stand in New York State?

Having a lemonade stand is a rite of summer for some kids. When I was about 10, I had one next to a golf course in Vermont. Many of us had one. Some of us might have been breaking the law.

Fortunately, New York is one of the 14 states where it IS legal. It's also okay in Vermont, Connecticut and Massachusetts. But it's ILLEGAL in Pennsylvania, and also against the laws in 35 other U.S. states. And Country Time Lemonade is doing something about it. They're going to pay the fines any kid incurs for his or her lemonade stand. And they've launched a national campaign to legalize 'em.

If you want to find out about the laws in YOUR state and get on board with Country Time, you can start right here. Here's a map showing which states are safe and which are not.

Country Time actually started the ball rolling in 2018 with this official statement:

Lemonade stands help kids build strong work habits, have fun, and become young entrepreneurs. The reality is, they are being shut down because of old, arcane and very real permit laws. Last summer, Country Time took a stand by introducing Legal-Ade: a crack team ready to straighten out lemonade stand-related permits and fines.

The lemonade company is doubling down in 2019, paying fines up to $300. And if there's a fine against a kid that's heftier than THAT, we'd like to hear about it.

Did YOU have a lemonade stand as a kid? What was YOUR first kid gig?