South Carolina’s Litter Laws
No person shall dump, throw, drop, deposit, discard or otherwise dispose of litter or other solid waste upon any public or private property or in the waters of this state, whether from a vehicle or otherwise.
No person shall operate on any highway any vehicle with any load unless such load and any covering thereon is securely fastened so as to prevent it from becoming loose.
The loader of the vehicle and the driver of the vehicle must sweep or otherwise remove any loose material from exterior portions of the vehicle before it is moved on a public highway.
No vehicle may be driven or moved on public highways unless the vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, shifting, leaking or escaping from the vehicle.
No vehicle which transports litter may be driven or moved on any highway unless the litter is secured by means of a covering which is fastened securely.
Litter Penalties and Prevention
Fines can be as high as $1,000.
The court may impose litter-gathering hours, removal of all litter in the area and/or payment for damages.
Even cigarettes and cigarette butts are considered to be litter.
There is a provision in the law that allows authorities to confiscate vehicles used to dump large quantities of litter.
Guilty convictions can lead to imprisonment for 30 days to one year.
