City of Spokane

Spokane Municipal Code

***Note: Many local criminal codes can now be located under Chapter 10.60 SMC while others are now cited under the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), which was incorporated into the municipal code in 2022. (See SMC 10.58.010). Code Enforcement, including Noise Control and Animal Regulations are located in Chapters 10.62 through 10.74.

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Title 10
Chapter 10.72
Section 10.72.070
 

Title 10 Regulation of Activities

Division V. Code Enforcement and Animal Regulations

Chapter 10.72 Adult Arcades

Section 10.72.070 Littering Prohibited – Penalties – Litter Cleanup Restitution Payment
  1. It is a violation of this section to abandon a junk vehicle upon any property. In addition, no person shall throw, drop, deposit, discard, or otherwise dispose of litter upon any public property in the state or upon private property in this state not owned by him or in the waters of this state whether from a vehicle or otherwise including, but not limited to, any public highway, public park, beach, campground, forest land, recreational area, trailer park, highway, road, street or alley except:
  1. when the property is designated by the state or its agencies or political subdivisions for the disposal of garbage and refuse, and the person is authorized to use the property for that purpose;
  1. into a litter receptacle in a manner that will prevent litter from being carried away or deposited by the elements upon any part of the private or public property or waters.
  1. Penalties.
  1. Except as provided in subsection (D) of this section, it is a class 3 civil infraction as provided in RCW 7.80.120 for a person to litter in an amount less than or equal to one cubic foot.
  1. It is a misdemeanor for a person to litter in an amount greater than one cubic foot but less than one cubic yard.
  1. The person shall also pay a litter cleanup restitution payment equal to twice the actual cost of cleanup, or fifty dollars per cubic foot of litter, whichever is greater.
  1. The court shall distribute one-half of the restitution payment to the landowner and one-half of the restitution payment to the law enforcement agency investigating the incident.
  1. The court may, in addition to or in lieu of part or all of the cleanup restitution payment, order the person to pick up and remove litter from the property, with prior permission of the legal owner, or in the case of public property, of the agency managing the property.
  1. The court may suspend or modify the litter cleanup restitution payment for a first-time offender under this section if the person cleans up and properly disposes of the litter.
  1. It is a gross misdemeanor for a person to litter in an amount of one cubic yard or more.
  1. The person shall also pay a litter cleanup restitution payment equal to twice the actual cost of cleanup, or one hundred dollars per cubic foot of litter, whichever is greater.
  1. The court shall distribute one-half of the restitution payment to the landowner and one-half of the restitution payment to the law enforcement agency investigating the incident.
  1. The court may, in addition to or in lieu of part or all of the cleanup restitution payment, order the person to pick up and remove litter from the property, with prior permission of the legal owner, or in the case of public property, of the agency managing the property.
  1. The court may suspend or modify the litter cleanup restitution payment for a first-time offender under this section, if the person cleans up and properly disposes of the litter.
  1. If a junk vehicle is abandoned in violation of this section, RCW 46.55.230 and Title 16A SMC govern the vehicle’s removal, disposal and sale, and the penalties that may be imposed against the person who abandoned the vehicle.
  1. It is a class 1 civil infraction as provided in RCW 7.80.120 and Chapter 10.62 SMC for a person to discard, in violation of this section, a cigarette, cigar or other tobacco product that is capable of starting a fire.

Date Passed: Monday, October 3, 2022

Effective Date: Monday, October 3, 2022

ORD C36289 Section 5