Spokane County, WA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- County prohibition
- SCC 8.26.020
- State litter law
- RCW 70A.200.060
- County fine
- $50-$500 per offense (misdemeanor)
- Civil penalty
- $50 per day (SCC 8.26.050)
- Over 10 cubic yards
- Gross misdemeanor (state)
Summary
Dumping litter or solid waste on any public or private land in unincorporated Spokane County is prohibited by SCC 8.26.020 and Washington's litter law RCW 70A.200.060. Penalties scale from a civil infraction up to a gross misdemeanor by volume.
No person shall throw, drop, deposit, discard or otherwise dispose of litter upon any public place or private property within the unincorporated boundaries of Spokane County, or in any waters within the unincorporated boundaries of Spokane County, whether from a vehicle or otherwise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 63).
Full Breakdown
SCC 8.26.020 states 'no person shall throw, drop, deposit, discard or otherwise dispose of litter upon any public place or private property within the unincorporated boundaries of Spokane County... except' into a proper receptacle or an authorized disposal site. 'Indiscriminate dumping' means disposing of more than one cubic foot of litter. Statewide, RCW 70A.200.060 makes littering up to one cubic foot a class 2 civil infraction, more than one cubic foot but under 10 cubic yards a misdemeanor, and more than 10 cubic yards a gross misdemeanor, plus litter clean-up restitution. Waste bearing three or more items with one person's name creates a permissible inference that person littered (SCC 8.26.090).
Violations & Fines
SCC 8.26.040: misdemeanor, fine $50-$500 per offense plus mandatory litter pickup; SCC 8.26.050: $50/day cumulative civil penalty. A $100 reward may be paid to informants (SCC 8.26.080).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane County
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