Sticker Shock: Tossing Trash on Highways in WA Costs You $250+

Those people you see tossing trash or cigarette butts out the window on the highway. Gross, right? Well, in Washington State, litter fines will now cost you $250 and up, and honestly, the penalty struggle is real!

Washington’s Litter Laws: Designed to Cause You Pain (in the Wallet)

Get your motor running, head out on the highway, but don’t throw any trash out the window! Washington’s new litter law that went into effect last year raised the penalties for simple littering on the highway to from $50 to $125, plus a $93 highway litter fee.

The fees get even worse if you get caught tossing a lighted cigarette or lit cigarette butt on a highway.

“The largest fines are for “lit debris”—primarily cigarettes—and items that can cause car crashes. Discarding "potentially dangerous litter," such as a lit cigarette, is a class 1 civil infraction carrying a fine of $1,025. You may also be held liable for fire-fighting costs and damages if the cigarette sparks a fire.” – Washington State Department of Ecology

Pro Tip: Keep a small garbage bag in your car to prevent the urge to toss trash out the window. If you're a smoker, store a cigarette butt container with a lid near the dashboard (one that fits in the cup holder is a really handy option).

Car Ashtray. LightInTheBox.com

Some say that April is the perfect time for planning those fun summer road trips, which means right now is the right time for this PSA reminder! Don’t litter, especially on the highways, or it will cost you through the nose!