Littering
A.R.S. 13-1603 — a class 2 misdemeanor, up to a felony by the pound
A person commits criminal littering or polluting by throwing, placing or dropping litter or destructive material on public property or someone else's property that is not a lawful dump, without removing it at once; by discharging sewage, oil or other harmful substances into waters or onto shorelines; or by dumping earth, soil, stones, ores or minerals on any land.
Who handles this in Arizona: Maricopa County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Arizona directory.
| What was dumped | The grade |
|---|---|
| What was dumpedMost littering | The gradeClass 2 misdemeanor, up to four months and a fine of up to seven hundred fifty dollars |
| What was dumpedDestructive or injurious material within fifty feet of a highway, beach or shoreline | The gradeClass 1 misdemeanor, up to six months and up to two thousand five hundred dollars |
| What was dumpedKnowingly, more than one hundred but less than three hundred pounds | The gradeClass 1 misdemeanor |
| What was dumpedKnowingly, more than three hundred pounds or one hundred cubic feet, or any commercial dumping | The gradeClass 6 felony |
Fines for littering go to the county where they were assessed, and at least half goes to cleaning up illegal dumping. Whether a particular charge fits is a question for a licensed Arizona attorney.
Sources for this section (3)
- A.R.S. 13-1603 — Criminal littering or polluting; classification
- A.R.S. 13-707 — Misdemeanors; sentencing
- A.R.S. 13-802 — Fines for misdemeanors
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Arizona attorney.