Littering
MCL 324.8902 — fined by the volume, from a civil infraction to a misdemeanor
A person may not knowingly dump, deposit, place, throw or leave litter, or cause or permit it, on public or private property or water without the consent of the public authority or the owner, other than on property set aside for it.
Who handles this in Michigan: State Bar of Michigan Lawyer Referral Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Michigan directory.
Litter is defined as rubbish, refuse, waste material, garbage, offal, paper, glass, cans, bottles, trash, debris or other foreign substances, and also an abandoned vehicle, vessel, ORV or snowmobile. Property or water includes the right of way of a road, a body of water and its shore, the ice above the water, parks, playgrounds, and residential, farm and timber land.
| How much litter | What it is |
|---|---|
| How much litterLess than 1 cubic foot | What it isState civil infraction, civil fine up to $800 |
| How much litter1 cubic foot to less than 3 cubic feet | What it isState civil infraction, civil fine up to $1,500 |
| How much litter3 cubic feet to less than 5 cubic yards | What it isMisdemeanor, penal fine up to $2,500; up to $5,000 the second time |
| How much litter5 cubic yards or more | What it isMisdemeanor, penal fine up to $5,000; up to $10,000 the second time |
On a misdemeanor conviction the court orders the person to remove the litter and repair the damage, and in any littering case it may order the person to repay a community group, a local government or a state department for the cleanup. The property owner has a civil action for the reasonable cost of cleanup as well.
Thrown at a car is a separate crime. Knowingly causing litter or any object to fall or be thrown into the path of, or to hit, a vehicle on a highway is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 1 year in jail, a fine of up to $500, or both.
Medical and infectious waste carry their own, far heavier penalties under the same part, and a removed wreck leaves its owner a duty to clear the glass. Whether a particular ticket fits the facts is a question for a licensed Michigan attorney.
Sources for this section (5)
- MCL 324.8902 — Littering property or water prohibited
- MCL 324.8905a — Littering as a state civil infraction or misdemeanor; fines by volume
- MCL 324.8901 — Littering; definitions
- MCL 324.8903 — Causing litter or an object to fall or be thrown into the path of a vehicle
- MCL 324.8905 — Litter from a health facility or laboratory, and infectious waste
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.