What Is the Fine for Littering in Pennsylvania?

The fine for littering in Pennsylvania starts at $50 to $300 for a first offense under the state’s general littering statute, with mandatory litter cleanup on top. Fines rise sharply for repeat offenders, for littering from a vehicle in protected areas, for commercial trash haulers, and inside designated enforcement corridors.

First-Offense Fine Under the Crimes Code

Title 18, Section 6501 of the Crimes Code, titled “Scattering rubbish,” is Pennsylvania’s main littering law. It covers dumping waste, trash, glass, metal, household refuse, or any dangerous substance onto roads, highways, railroad rights-of-way, someone else’s land, or into Pennsylvania waterways, and it covers tampering with trash receptacles.¹

A first offense is a summary offense, Pennsylvania’s lowest criminal classification, with a fine of $50 to $300. The court must also order 5 to 30 hours of litter cleanup, to be completed within six months. A judge can add up to 90 days of imprisonment on top of the fine and cleanup.¹

Court costs are added on top of the statutory fine and vary by county.

Fines for Littering From a Vehicle

Title 75, Section 3709 of the Vehicle Code targets littering from vehicles specifically. It prohibits throwing or depositing trash from a vehicle onto any highway, public or private property, or into Pennsylvania waters.²

The fine depends on where the littering happens:

Up to $300 in most locations.
Up to $600 in an agricultural security area.
Up to $900 in an easement purchased under the Agricultural Area Security Law.

These are maximums, and the same caps apply whether it is a first or later conviction. What escalates with repeats is the community service: 8 to 16 hours for a first conviction, 16 to 32 for a second, and 40 to 80 for a third or later violation. The court schedules the hours so they do not interfere with work, family, or religious obligations.²

If an officer cannot identify who actually threw the litter, the registered owner of the vehicle can be held responsible. Pennsylvania law treats the driver and the vehicle’s registrant as equally liable, even if the registrant was not driving and did not know about the littering.²

What a Second Offense Costs

A second or subsequent conviction under Section 6501 is no longer a summary offense. It becomes a third-degree misdemeanor, meaning a criminal record. The fine jumps to $300 to $1,000, and the court may order 30 to 100 hours of litter cleanup to be completed within one year. Imprisonment remains available.¹

Trash Hauler and Commercial Dumping Penalties

Pennsylvania singles out operators of trash, garbage, and debris collection vehicles for much harsher penalties. This covers anyone who uses a vehicle to collect or transport trash, whether a commercial hauler or a person using a pickup truck. If an owner, operator, or their agent knowingly dumps part of a load onto a road, someone else’s property, or into waterways, the fines run far higher than the general statute:¹

First offense: a second-degree misdemeanor, $500 to $5,000, possible imprisonment, and up to two years of community service.
Second or subsequent offense: a first-degree misdemeanor, $1,000 to $10,000, possible imprisonment, and up to five years of community service.

Litter Enforcement Corridors

Act 62, signed into law in 2018, created Litter Enforcement Corridors: designated stretches of road where penalties increase. Within these corridors, fines are doubled for violations under both the general littering statute and the vehicle littering statute. If the litter came from a commercial business and was deposited in a corridor, the fines triple.

In practice, a first-offense fine under Section 6501 that would normally max out at $300 can reach $600 in a corridor, or $900 if commercial waste is involved. Corridor designations are established through PennDOT and can change over time as problem areas are identified.

License Suspension for Unpaid Vehicle Code Fines

A vehicle-related littering citation under Title 75 that goes unpaid can cost you your driver’s license. Title 75, Section 1533 authorizes PennDOT to suspend driving privileges for anyone who does not respond to a Vehicle Code citation or does not pay any fine, costs, or restitution imposed by the court.³

The suspension lasts until you pay the full amount, enter an installment agreement, or complete a court-approved community service program in lieu of payment. If you set up installment payments and then stop making them, the court can determine whether you have the ability to pay, and PennDOT can reimpose the suspension.³

Responding to a Littering Citation

First-time, non-commercial littering citations under both statutes are summary offenses handled through Pennsylvania’s magisterial district courts. After receiving a citation, you have 10 days to either plead guilty and pay the fine or plead not guilty and post collateral for a trial. If the fine amount is not specified on the citation, the collateral is $50.

Responding within the 10-day window matters even if you plan to contest the ticket, because the license suspension process for Vehicle Code citations is triggered by non-response as much as by non-payment. If you cannot afford the full amount at once, you can request an installment plan from the court.

1
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 18 6501 – Scattering Rubbish
2
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 75 3709 – Depositing Waste and Other Material on Highway, Property or Waters
3
Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Code 75 1533 – Suspension of Operating Privilege for Failure to Respond to Citation