Criminal littering is a Class A misdemeanor in Kentucky. It covers litter left on public or private property, litter thrown from vehicles and boats, and waste put into public waters.
What the offense covers
Under KRS 512.070, a person commits criminal littering by:
- Knowingly placing or throwing litter on public or private property, or in public or private water, without permission.
- Dropping, or allowing to drop, destructive or injurious material on a highway and not removing it right away.
- Negligently placing glass or other dangerous sharp objects on or within 50 feet of a public highway, or on or next to water where the public swims or wades.
- Discharging sewage, minerals, oil products or litter into public waters or lakes.
Litter is defined broadly. It includes rubbish, waste material, paper, glass, cans, bottles, trash, debris or any foreign substance, whether or not it has value.
Vehicles, boats and loads
When litter is thrown or dropped from a motor vehicle, the driver is presumed to be responsible unless the evidence shows otherwise. The same presumption applies to the operator of a motorboat or vessel. A separate traffic law requires vehicles to be built so their contents cannot escape. A load that could shift or spill must be covered if the vehicle travels more than one mile on a public highway.
Penalties and open dumping
A Class A misdemeanor carries up to 12 months in jail and a fine of up to $500. A littering citation may be marked as prepayable to the circuit court clerk. A court may order a person convicted of a second or later littering offense to pick up litter for at least four hours. Local governments may choose by ordinance to treat littering as a civil offense, so the process can differ by city and county.
Dumping waste is also covered by environmental law. KRS 224.40-100 prohibits disposing of waste anywhere other than a permitted site and prohibits open dumps. Violations carry civil penalties of up to $5,000, plus up to $5,000 for each day the violation continues, and the state can require cleanup. A knowing violation is a Class D felony.
How to report
State police, sheriffs, city and county police and county solid waste coordinators all have a duty to enforce the littering laws. To report littering, contact local law enforcement with the location, time and a description. The Kentucky Division of Waste Management takes illegal dumping complaints, accepts anonymous reports and assigns each complaint to a field inspector. For an environmental emergency, the state’s 24-hour response line is 800-928-2380.
This article is general information about Kentucky law, not legal advice, and the law may have changed since it was last reviewed in October 2026. For advice about your own situation, talk to a lawyer.