Valdosta Police to Initiate Zero-Tolerance on Littering

Over the past several years, Valdosta has seen an increasing problem in the area of litter. The problem is becoming worse and is taking up valuable time of the City Public Works Department who must pick up trash on a daily basis alongside the roadways in the city versus handling their normal trash routes.

Therefore, effective immediately, the Valdosta Police Department will aggressively start stopping and citing motorist and pedestrians when we see litter. Citations will be issued.

The purpose of this press release is to warn our citizens that if you throw out trash from your vehicle, drop litter on the street as a pedestrian, and/or you are caught illegally dumping, you will be issued a citation and face a severe fine.

Listed below are the current laws regarding littering.

  • 40-6-249 Littering highway:
  • Any person littering a highway in violation of Part 2 of Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 16 or driving, moving, or loading for operation a vehicle in violation of Code Section 40-6-248.1 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished as provided in Code Section 16-7-43.
  • 16-7-43 Littering:

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to dump, deposit, throw, or leave or to cause or permit the dumping, depositing, placing, throwing, or leaving of litter on any public or private property in this state or

any waters in this state, unless:

(1) The area is designated by the state or by any of its agencies or political subdivisions for the disposal of litter and the person is authorized by the proper public authority to so using such area;

(2) The litter is placed into a non-disposable litter receptacle or container designed for the temporary storage of litter and located in an area designated by the owner or tenant in lawful possession of the property; or

(3) The person is the owner or tenant in lawful possession of such property or has first obtained consent of the owner or tenant in lawful possession or unless the act is done under the personal direction of the owner or tenant, all in a manner consistent with the public welfare.

Fines for littering range anywhere from $196 to $675, depending on the offense circumstances.

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