Littering and Dumping
G.L. c. 270, § 16 — up to $5,500 the first time, $15,000 after, and the car can be held
Whoever throws, deposits or discharges trash, bottles, cans, rubbish, garbage, debris or other material of any kind on a public highway or within 20 yards of one, on other public land, in or within 20 yards of coastal or inland waters, on someone else's property, or on conservation or open space land, is punished by a fine of not more than $5,500 for the first offense and not more than $15,000 for each later one. The court may also make the violator remove it at their own expense.
Who handles this in Massachusetts: Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs, listed in the Massachusetts directory.
A car used to dump can be held, and so can the license. Where more than seven cubic feet is dumped from a motor vehicle and an officer sees it happen, the vehicle can be seized or immobilized until the fine is paid and the material is cleaned up. A conviction involving a vehicle goes to the registrar, who may suspend the operator's license, and the owner's registration, for up to thirty days.
State police, city and town police, natural resources officers, harbormasters and park rangers enforce the section, and some towns add their health agents. Whether a particular ticket fits is a question for a licensed Massachusetts attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.L. c. 270, § 16 — Disposal of rubbish on or near highways and waters; penalties
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.