Texas Littering Law – A Guide
Littering in Texas is a problem that negatively affects the environment and makes the proud state untidy. Everything from chewing gum and cigarette butts littering downtown city streets to fast food wrappers and juice cartons chucked out by the roadside are unsightly and damaging to health and the environment.
Cleaning up litter costs the state millions every year. The Texas Litter Abatement Act, which is part of the Texas Health and Safety Code, exists to help deter littering in the state by individuals and businesses. This law lays out specific offenses, fines, and penalties for littering in Texas.
Discover everything you need to know about littering in Texas and the law to protect yourself and your business.
Is littering illegal in Texas?
Littering is illegal in Texas and the rest of the USA. According to the Texas Litter Abatement Act, littering is a misdemeanor offense. Everything from flicking a cigarette butt onto the street to dumping tires in a river is illegal and are examples of littering.
Under the Texas littering law, an offense is committed if someone disposes (or allows the disposal) of litter or solid waste somewhere that’s not an approved solid waste site. There are four levels of misdemeanor, which can affect the potential penalty or fine:
- Class C misdemeanor – if the waste weighs 5lbs or less (or 5 gallons or fewer).
- Class B misdemeanor – if the waste weighs between 5 and 500lbs (or between 5 and 748 gallons/100 ft³).
- Class A misdemeanor – if the waste weighs between 500 and 1,000lbs (or between 100 ft³ and 200 ft³. If the waste is littered for a commercial purpose and weighs between 5 and 200lbs.
- State jail felony – if the waste weighs 1,000lbs or more (or has a volume of 200 ft³ or more). If the waste is dumped for a commercial reason and weighs more than 200lbs.
For more information read the full Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 365: Texas Litter Abatement Act.
What is the fine for
littering in Texas?
The Texas Litter Abatement Act outlines potential fines and penalties for littering in the state. How much the fine for littering in Texas is depends on the amount of trash littered, whether it’s a first or repeat offense, and the level of misdemeanor. In most cases, the fine for littering in Texas is up to $500.
These are some of the various fines for littering in Texas:
- Up to $500 – littering trash that weighs 5lbs or 5 gallons or less.
- Up to $2,000 – and/or up to 180 days in jail for littering between 5 and 500lbs (5 gallons to 100 ft³) of trash.
- Up to $4,000 – and/or up to 1 year in jail for littering between 500 and 1,000lbs (100 to 200ft³) of trash (or dumping between 5 and 200lbs of garbage for a commercial purpose).
- Up to $10,000 – and/or up to two years in state jail for littering 1,000lbs (200ft³) or more of garbage (or 200lbs or more for commercial purposes), or dumping a closed barrel or drum.
Texas littering statistics
Texas is the second-largest state by area, so there’s a lot of space for littering along its roads and waterways. Various research, surveys, and cleanups are regularly conducted across the state to identify issues with litter and work to reduce it. These are some statistics about littering in Texas:
- 47% of litter on roads in Texas is from motorists
- 362 million bits of litter are discarded on Texas roads every year
- Almost a third of all micro litter on roads in Texas are cigarette butts
- Research by Don’t Mess With Texas found that large litter on roadways decreased by 63.2% from 2013 to 2023
- Drink containers account for 29% of large litter in Texas
- 38% of large litter in Texas is recyclable
- Plastic accounts for 72% of litter in Texas waterways
- Texas paid around $40 million on litter pickup in 2014
Need help with waste management in Texas for your business? At Business Waste we can assist with dumpster rental and commercial trash collection anywhere across the state. This helps prevent littering on your site and keeps your premises clean. Get a free no-obligation quote today – call 888 584 2118 or contact us online.
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