Littering
17 M.R.S. § 2264-A — $100 to $500 for 15 pounds or less, and balloons count
Litter covers waste of nearly every kind: bottles, cans, garbage, brush and yard debris, cigarette butts, old cars and their parts, fireworks debris, the remains of released balloons, and abandoned ice fishing shacks.
Who handles this in Maine: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Maine directory.
| How much | Civil fine | Also |
|---|---|---|
| How much15 pounds or 27 cubic feet or less, or releasing 16 to 24 balloons at once | Civil fine$100 to $500, then $500 to $1,000 | AlsoNo added penalty in the section |
| How muchMore than that, or more than 24 balloons | Civil fineAt least $500, then at least $2,000 | AlsoAt least 100 hours of litter cleanup, treble damages or $200 to anyone harmed, and license suspensions of 30 days to one year |
Dumping more than 500 pounds for a commercial purpose falls under the environmental penalties instead. Whether a particular complaint fits is a question for a licensed Maine attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- 17 M.R.S. § 2264-A — Penalties
- 17 M.R.S. § 2263 — Definitions
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Maine attorney.