2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 18 - CRIMINAL CODE (§§ 18-1-101 — 18-26-102) › Article 4 - OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY (§§ 18-4-101 — 18-4-801) › Part 5 - TRESPASS, TAMPERING, AND CRIMINAL MISCHIEF (§§ 18-4-501 — 18-4-516) › Section 18-4-511 - Littering of public or private property - repeal

(1)
Any person who deposits, throws, or leaves any litter on any public or private property or in any waters commits littering.
(2)
It shall be an affirmative defense that:
(a)
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
(b)
The litter is placed in a receptacle or container installed on such property for that purpose; or
(c)
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.
(3)
(a)
The term "litter" as used in this section means all rubbish, waste material, refuse, garbage, trash, debris, or other foreign substances, solid or liquid, of every form, size, kind, and description.
(b)
The phrase "public or private property" as used in this section includes, but is not limited to, the right-of-way of any road or highway, any body of water or watercourse, including frozen areas or the shores or beaches thereof, any park, playground, or building, any refuge, conservation, or recreation area, and any residential, farm, or ranch properties or timberlands.
(4)
(a)
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (4)(b)(I) of this section and sections
33-15-108 (2)
and
42-4-1406
, littering is a civil infraction punishable, upon conviction, notwithstanding the provisions of section
18-1.3-503
, by a mandatory fine of not less than twenty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars upon a first conviction, by a mandatory fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than one thousand dollars upon a second conviction, and by a mandatory fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars upon a third or subsequent conviction.
(b)
(I)
On and after January 1, 2020, the mandatory fines specified in subsection (4)(a) of this section are adjusted annually by the annual percentage change in the United States department of labor's bureau of labor statistics consumer price index for Denver-Aurora-Lakewood for all items paid by all urban consumers, or its applicable successor index. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the clerk of the court shall transmit the amount of the fine attributable to the adjustment specified in this subsection (4)(b)(I) to the state treasurer, who shall credit the money to the Colorado circular communities cash fund created in section 25-16.5-109 (4).
(II)
This subsection (4)(b) is repealed, effective September 1, 2032.
(5)
It is in the discretion of the court, upon the conviction of any person and the imposition of a fine under this section, to suspend any or all of the fine in excess of the mandatory minimum fine upon the condition that the convicted person gather and remove from specified public property or specified private property, with prior permission of the owner or tenant in lawful possession thereof, any litter found thereon, or upon the condition that the convicted person pick up litter at a time prescribed by and a place within the jurisdiction of the court for not less than eight hours upon a first conviction or for not less than sixteen hours upon a second or subsequent conviction.
(6)
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.
(7)
In addition to those law enforcement officers and agencies of this state and the political subdivisions thereof authorized to enforce this section, the officers of the Colorado state patrol and the district wildlife managers and other commissioned officers of the division of parks and wildlife are expressly authorized, empowered, and directed to enforce the provisions of this section.
(8)
Any time a person is charged with committing littering, the peace officer shall issue a summons and complaint for the person's appearance in court. Notwithstanding section
16-2.3-102
, a peace officer shall not issue a penalty assessment for littering.
Amended by 2024 Ch. 192,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2024.
Amended by 2022 Ch. 68, § 25, eff. 3/1/2022.
Amended by 2021 Ch. 462, § 218, eff. 3/1/2022.
Amended by 2019 Ch. 362, § 3, eff. 8/2/2019.
L. 71: R&RE, p. 432, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-4-511. L. 73: p. 537, § 1. L. 77: (4) amended, p. 1195, § 2, effective July 1. L. 79: (7) amended, p. 1212, § 2, effective June 21. L. 81: (4) amended, p. 2025, § 18, effective July 14. L. 85: (4) R&RE and (5) amended, p. 670, §§1, 2, effective July 1. L. 2002, 3rd Ex. Sess.: (4) amended, p. 53, § 3, effective July 18. L. 2019: (4) amended, (SB 19-192), ch. 3353, p. 3353, § 3, effective August 2. L. 2021: (4)(a) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 3180, p. 3180, § 218, effective 3/1/2022.
Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.
2021 Ch. 462, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).
For the power and duty of the executive director of the department of natural resources to establish programs to control litter in Colorado, see § 24-33-102(5) ; for prohibitions against putting foreign matters on highways, see § 42-4-1406 ; for littering lands or waters under the control of the division of wildlife in the department of natural resources, see §§ 33-10-102(10) and 33-15-108 ; for affirmative defenses generally, see §§ 18-1-407 , 18-1-710 , and 18-1-805 .