Westminster, CO Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Depositing, throwing or leaving litter
- Covered locations
- Public or private property, or any waters
- Defense
- Owner/tenant consent or proper receptacle
- Vehicle presumption
- Driver presumed responsible for vehicle litter
- Alternative penalty
- Court can order cleanup instead of fine
- Related nuisance ground
- Named proscribed act under nuisance chapter
Summary
Depositing, throwing or leaving litter on any public or private property, or in City waters, is unlawful in Westminster under Section 6-18-1, and courts can suspend a violator's fine on condition they personally clean up the property instead. Litter dumped from a moving vehicle is presumed to be the driver's doing.
(A)It Shall be Unlawful to Commit Littering. Any person who deposits, throws, or leaves any litter on any public or private property, or in any waters commits littering.(B)It Shall be an Affirmative Defense That:(1)Such property is an area designated by law for the disposal of such material, and the person is authorized by the proper public authority to so use the property; or(2)The litter is placed in a receptacle or container installed on such property for that purpose; or(3)Such person is the owner or tenant in lawful possession of such property, or he has first obtained written consent of the owner or tenant in lawful possession, or the act is done under the personal direction of said owner or tenant... (E)Whenever litter is thrown, deposited, dropped or dumped from any motor vehicle in violation of this section, the operator of said motor vehicle is presumed to have caused or permitted the litter to be so thrown, deposited, dropped or dumped therefrom.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 12).
Full Breakdown
Section 6-18-1(A) defines littering broadly, covering rubbish, waste, refuse, garbage, trash, debris or any other foreign substance, solid or liquid, deposited, thrown or left on public or private property or in any waters. Subsection (B) provides three affirmative defenses: the property is an area lawfully designated for disposal and the person is authorized to use it; the litter went into a receptacle or container installed for that purpose; or the person is the owner or tenant in lawful possession, or acted with the owner or tenant's written consent or personal direction.
Subsection (D) gives the Municipal Court discretion, on conviction and after imposing a fine, to suspend that fine on condition the offender personally gathers and removes litter from specified public or, with permission, private property. Subsection (E) creates a presumption that whenever litter is thrown, deposited, dropped or dumped from a motor vehicle, the vehicle's operator caused or permitted it. , among the proscribed acts that can support designating real property a public nuisance under the City's separate nuisance chapter, exposing a property owner who tolerates repeated dumping to nuisance abatement in addition to the littering charge itself.
Violations & Fines
A Section 6-18-1 violation is punishable under the Code's general penalty provision, Section 1-8-1, which allows a fine of up to $2,650.00 or, if charged criminally, imprisonment of up to 364 days, or both; the court may instead suspend the fine conditioned on court-supervised litter removal. Repeated dumping can also support a public nuisance designation against the property.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in Westminster?
Can I avoid the fine by cleaning it up?
Am I responsible if litter blows out of my truck bed?
Is illegal dumping also treated as a nuisance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Adams County handle illegal dumping.