Lacey, WA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Lacey has no stand-alone dumping chapter. The dumping rule sits in the Public Peace, Safety and Morals title as the littering offense in § 9.28.120. A person is guilty of littering by throwing, dropping, depositing, discarding or otherwise disposing of litter on any public property in the City of Lacey, on private property inside the city that the person does not own, or in the waters of the city. The offense applies whether the litter leaves a vehicle or not, and the section names highways, parks, recreational areas, roads, streets and alleys. Two exceptions are printed: property the city has designated for garbage and refuse disposal where the person is authorized to use it, and a litter receptacle used in a way that keeps the litter from being carried off by the elements. "Litter" means all waste material, including disposable packages or containers.

The penalty ladder is built on volume. Section 9.28.120(C) makes a litter amount of one cubic foot or less a class 3 civil infraction under Chapter 7.80 RCW. Discarding a cigarette, cigar or other tobacco product capable of starting a fire is a class 1 civil infraction. More than one cubic foot but less than one cubic yard is a misdemeanor, and one cubic yard or more is a gross misdemeanor. Under § 1.12.010, a misdemeanor conviction carries a fine of not more than $1,000.00 or imprisonment not to exceed ninety days, or both, and a gross misdemeanor carries a fine of not more than $5,000.00 or imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, unless a different penalty is provided. Each day a violation is committed, continued or permitted is a separate offense under the same section.

Subsection (C)(5) adds a cleanup remedy: a court can direct a person convicted of littering to pick up and remove any or all litter deposited on a public place, or on private property with the legal owner's prior permission, including litter left there by others before sentencing.

Trash piled on your own lot is handled differently. Section 9.52.010(C) declares a public nuisance the accumulation of garbage and refuse not disposed of under Chapter 8.04 LMC, along with other junk that is not completely fenced off or enclosed from public view and public access. Allowing that condition to continue after the correction date set by a city enforcement officer under Chapter 14.40 LMC is a misdemeanor under § 9.52.020, and the city can abate the condition and bill hauling, storage and disposal expenses under § 14.40.060(D).