Litter Control

What is considered litter?
Litter is trash that is not disposed of properly in a trash can. When it’s in the can, it becomes garbage. Anywhere else, it’s litter. Just to be clear, the following is definitely and undeniably LITTER:

• Cigarette butts – they’re small but they’re a nuisance
• Gum and gum wrappers – anything less than two square inches is considered microliter, a growing problem on Texas roadways
• Apple cores – even though they’ll decompose
• Trash that flies out of a car window or truck bed - accidentally or otherwise

What are the penalties for littering in Texas?
Littering is against the law and you can be fined up to $500 for trash less than or equal to five pounds or five gallons (as you may have seen on those blue Don’t mess with Texas signs). Repeat the offense, and you could face a fine of up to $2,000 and 180 days in jail.

It gets worse.

Discarding trash that weighs more than five pounds is considered illegal dumping and carries even steeper fines. In Texas, failing to cover your pickup-truck load is against the law and carries a fine of up to $200 for the first offense and $500 for repeat offenders.

For more information on how you can get involved please visit the Keep Texas Beautiful website.