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Thursday, Mar. 27, 2025

Fact brief: Is throwing cigarette butts out of your car window illegal in Texas?

Kathryn Miller, Fort Worth Report
yes

Throwing cigarette butts anywhere on the ground is considered littering and illegal in Texas. 

Litter is trash that is not properly disposed of in a trash can. Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter and can take 5 to 30 years to decompose. When exposed to rain, they cause water pollution as chemicals such as arsenic and benzene leach into runoff.

An estimated 130 million butts annually are tossed out on Texas highways while 4.5 trillion are littered worldwide.

Fines are up to $500 for trash less than or equal to 5 pounds or 5 gallons. 

If the offense is repeated, the penalty could be a fine of up to $2,000 and 180 days in jail.

The Texas A&M Forest Service warns that under hot and windy weather conditions, a cigarette butt can ignite dry grasses and lead to a brush or wildfire.

See a full discussion of this at Fort Worth Report

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