WA Senate approves bill that would raise littering fines for first time in over a decade
Apr 16, 2025, 5:00 AM
Other than left-lane campers and bad mergers, few things are more disappointing behind the wheel than watching someone toss garbage out of their car. Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Littering in Washington could now cost more, following the Senate’s passage of , which raises fines for littering.
Sponsored by Rep. Mark Klicker (R-Walla Walla), the bill increases the fine for littering up to $125 per cubic foot of trash. If the littering happens on a state highway, an additional $93 fine applies.
This is the first time littering penalties have been raised since 1993.
New bill would raise fines for littering
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Klicker said he introduced the bill after noticing increasing litter on Washington鈥檚 roads. In 2022, residents dumped nearly 38 million pounds of trash鈥�42% more than the national average
An earlier version of the bill proposed creating a task force to study litter prevention, but that provision was removed. Another amendment delays a planned increase in the fee for reusable plastic bags from 2026 to 2028, keeping the current 8-cent fee for both plastic and paper bags.
The bill now returns to the House for a final vote on the amended version before heading to the governor鈥檚 desk.
