A new state law strengthens penalties and reporting mechanisms on illegal dumping and littering in Louisiana. State Representative John Illg (R-Harahan), authored Act 67 / House Bill 173. The measure gained final approval during the 2025 Louisiana Regular Legislative Session and became effective with Governor Jeff Landry’s signature on June 4, 2025. As the Louisiana Radio Network reports, Illg described a key component of Act 67. “The park rangers are going to be able to go out on the roadways and outside of parks in the state and enforce litter laws.”
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser says another key part of the new law is the use and promotion of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries litter hotline: 855-LA-LITTER or 855-525-4883. “If you report somebody littering, and you turn them in, they’re going to get a ticket in the mail. And the study shows, if you get a ticket, or you pick up litter for a day, you’re 80% less likely to litter.” State officials say for a citation to be issued, the caller must be willing to sign an affidavit. The following information is needed when reporting:
- Vehicle make and license plate information
- Location of offense
- Photos and/or video, if available
Fines for littering range from $175 for simple littering on a first offense, up to $1,000 for gross littering, which includes dumping large amounts of trash or using an illegal dump site. Those who cannot afford the fines can be required to spend eight hours picking up trash.
Nungesser says if you think those fines are stiff, think about what littering costs the state. “We’re on a mission to make Louisiana litter free so we don’t spent a hundred million dollars a year to clean up litter. That’s what we spent last year. And that money could be better spent on other things.” Both Rep. Illg and Nungesser had touted the new law ahead of the 2025 Keep Louisiana Beautiful Annual State Conference which ran from September 22-24 in Baton Rouge.
Throughout the course of this article, you have seen three separate graphics (above) which highlight results from the 2023 Louisiana Litter Study, published by Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB), with support from the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
*The study itself was conducted by a project team led by Carson Consulting. The team consisted of Tetra Tech BAS, Steve Stein, and numerous individuals with an extensive history of conducting national, state, and local research studies. For more information, contact info@keeplouisianabeautiful.org.
