ARS 13-1603: Criminal littering or polluting
The complete text of A.R.S. § 13-1603 on criminal littering or polluting, and how this section is used in Arizona criminal cases. It defines terms and procedure rather than creating an offense.
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What § 13-1603 Sets Out
A.R.S. § 13-1603 is the Arizona statute on criminal littering or polluting. It sets out procedure and rules rather than defining an offense, so no offense class or sentence attaches to this section on its own.
A. A person commits criminal littering or polluting if the person without lawful authority does any of the following:
- Throws, places, drops or permits to be dropped on public property or property of another that is not a lawful dump any litter, destructive or injurious material that the person does not immediately remove.
- Discharges or permits to be discharged any sewage, oil products or other harmful substances into any waters or onto any shorelines within this state.
- Dumps any earth, soil, stones, ores or minerals on any land.
Full Text of A.R.S. § 13-1603
A. A person commits criminal littering or polluting if the person without lawful authority does any of the following:
1. Throws, places, drops or permits to be dropped on public property or property of another that is not a lawful dump any litter, destructive or injurious material that the person does not immediately remove.
2. Discharges or permits to be discharged any sewage, oil products or other harmful substances into any waters or onto any shorelines within this state.
3. Dumps any earth, soil, stones, ores or minerals on any land.
B. Criminal littering or polluting is punishable as follows:
1. A class 6 felony if the act is a knowing violation of subsection A in which the amount of litter or other prohibited material or substance exceeds three hundred pounds in weight or one hundred cubic feet in volume or is done in any quantity for a commercial purpose.
2. A class 1 misdemeanor if the act is a knowing violation of subsection A, paragraph 1 in which the amount of litter or prohibited material or substance is more than one hundred pounds in weight but less than three hundred pounds in weight or more than thirty-five cubic feet in volume but less than one hundred cubic feet in volume and is not done for a commercial purpose.
3. A class 1 misdemeanor if the act is not punishable under paragraph 1 of this subsection and involves placing any destructive or injurious material on or within fifty feet of a highway, beach or shoreline of any body of water used by the public.
4. A class 2 misdemeanor if the act is not punishable under paragraph 1, 2 or 3 of this subsection.
C. If a fine is assessed for a violation of subsection A, paragraph 1 or 2, one hundred per cent of any assessed fine shall be deposited in the general fund of the county in which the fine was assessed. At least fifty per cent of the fine shall be used by the county for the purposes of illegal dumping cleanup.
Source: Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1603, Arizona Legislative Council revision of 09/19/25. Read the official text on azleg.gov. Statutes change; verify the current version before relying on it.
Related Statutes in Chapter 16 — Criminal Damage To Property
How § 13-1603 Affects an Arizona Case
§ 13-1603 usually matters because of how it interacts with the charge someone is actually facing. We read it alongside the charging statute, because a definition or a procedural rule frequently decides what the State must prove, what a judge may impose, or what relief is available afterward.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is A.R.S. § 13-1603?
A.R.S. § 13-1603 is the Arizona statute on criminal littering or polluting. It sets out rules that apply across Arizona criminal cases rather than defining a single offense.
Where can I read the official text of § 13-1603?
The Arizona Legislature publishes it at azleg.gov, in the revision dated 09/19/25. The complete text is reproduced on this page, and every Arizona criminal statute is searchable on our Arizona Criminal Code index.
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