Dumping Litter on Private Property, Public Property or Waters of the State of South Carolina is Prohibited!


South Carolina Litter Violations and Penalties 
15 lbs or less Misdemeanor 16-11-700 (C) (1):

• Up to $465.00 Up to (30) days in prison
• 1st Conviction 8 hours of litter gathering labor
• 2nd Conviction 16 hours of litter gathering labor
• 3rd Conviction $1087.00 and or (30) days in prison
• 24 hours of litter gathering labor 

 Over 15 lbs but less than 500 lbs Misdemeanor 16-11-700 (D):

• Up to $1087.00 Up to (90) days in prison or both
• Up to 100 hours of litter gathering or other public service

Over 500 lbs Misdemeanor 16-11-700 (E) (1):

• Up to $2,087.00
• Up to (1) year in prison or Court may order violator to remove or restore damaged property and public service work
• Motor vehicle, vessel or other equipment used in the violation of 500 lbs or more is declared contraband and subject to seizure and forfeiture to the state

Vehicle Violations 
Misdemeanor 56-5-4100 (A), (B) Exclusion – (F)
Flat fine of $232.50
No vehicle shall be driven or moved on any public highway unless such vehicle is constructed, loaded or covered to prevent load from dropping, escaping or shifting in a manner that creates a safety hazard or deposits litter on public or private property.

Misdemeanor 56-5-4100 (D)
Flat fine of $232.50
Any person operating a vehicle from which any substance or cargo, excluding water have fallen or escaped, which would constitute an obstruction, or otherwise endanger travel upon the public highway, shall make every reasonable effort to cause the public highway to be cleaned of all substances and shall pay for any cost of the cleaning.


Litter - Frequently Asked Questions 

Q. What do I do if I see someone littering or illegal dumping?
A. Take down the license plate number and a brief description of the folks along with the closest address of the litter/illegal dumping. The more information you collect the better chance of tracking down the owners of the litter/illegally dumped items.
Then you may either call 911 or call 843-623-2464 to report the incident. 

Q. What do I do if something blows off my truck bed?
A. Go back and pick it up. Then make sure that the bed is covered or the items are secure so that nothing else falls off. Even cigarette butts are litter and should not be thrown out the window. 

Q. Why are burn barrels illegal?
A. Many of the items that have been burned in the past now contain chemicals that are harmful to the environment. With our growing population and the new chemicals in products, it is simply very harmful for us to continue to dispose of our trash by burning it. Many of the things that we burn can be recycled to help the environment.

Learn Before You Burn 
Open Burning is the burning of any material in an open fire or an outdoor container in South Carolina. 

It is against the law to burn the following:
Household Garbage and Trash
Paper
Roofing Materials (shingles and tar)
Building Materials
Plastics
Paints
Electrical Wire
Motor and Waste heating oil
Household Cleaners
Farm Chemicals
Tires and other rubber products