Spokane Valley, WA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- SVMC § 8.30.030
- State law incorporated
- RCW 70.93.060 (littering)
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 / 90 days
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Cleanup liability
- Violator pays City's abatement costs
Summary
Spokane Valley prosecutes illegal dumping as littering under SVMC § 8.30.030, which adopts the state litter statute, RCW 70.93.060, into city law. Because the littering chapter sets no special punishment, dumping defaults to the City's general penalty, § 1.10.010(A): a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine, 90 days in jail, or both.
§ 8.30.030. Littering and pollution. The following provisions of the Revised Code of Washington as presently constituted or hereinafter amended are adopted by reference: RCW 70.93.030 Definitions. RCW 70.93.060 Littering. ... § 1.10.010. General penalties. Unless otherwise specified by City ordinance, any person who violates the provisions of any City of Spokane Valley ordinance regulating, forbidding or prohibiting conduct shall be punished pursuant to the general penalty provisions set forth in this section. A. Criminal Penalty. Unless otherwise provided, the minimum criminal penalty is classified as a misdemeanor. Any person convicted of a misdemeanor shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $1,000 or by imprisonment not to exceed 90 days, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
060 (the littering offense itself). Rather than write a separate local dumping statute, the City folds illegal dumping, discarding refuse, trash, or waste on public or private property one does not control, into this state littering incorporation. 010(A). 020 makes each day a violation continues, such as debris left in place, a distinct offense, which can multiply exposure for dumping that is not promptly cleaned up. 050 makes anyone responsible for a dumping violation liable for 'all actual costs of abatement' if the City has to remove the material itself.
030 as the primary criminal charge, while code enforcement staff can pursue civil nuisance abatement and cost recovery for waste left on the ground under the related property-offense and waste-transport chapters.
Violations & Fines
Dumping trash, debris, or waste in violation of SVMC § 8.30.030's littering incorporation is a misdemeanor under the City's general penalty, § 1.10.010(A): up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Each day debris remains is a separate offense under § 1.10.020, and the responsible party can also be billed for cleanup costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Spokane Valley have its own dumping statute?
What is the maximum fine for illegal dumping?
Who pays to clean up dumped waste?
Can I be cited more than once for the same pile of trash?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane Valley
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