Yes.
The Texas Department of Transportation is charged with cleaning up trash along highways. The state regularly hires contractors to pick up litter, paying more than $50 million for cleanup efforts in 2021.
However, it’s not always clear where the state’s responsibilities begin and end. Private toll road operators are responsible for cleanup along their lanes, and city crews are often responsible for trash on roads leading up to major highways.
Littering is against Texas law, with violators facing fines up to $500. Repeat offenders could face up to $2,000 in fines and 180 days in jail.
If you see debris or litter on highways, you can report it to the transportation department online. Drivers can also report litterers to the Don’t Mess with Texas litter campaign, who will mail a reminder to the driver about proper ways to dispose of trash.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Fort Worth Report partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
Texas Department of Transportation Don’t Mess With Texas
Texas Department of Transportation Report Something on Road
Don’t Mess With Texas Report a Litterer
Take Care of Texas Texans Don’t Litter, Do They?
Fort Worth Star-Telegram Responsibility for litter cleanup on Texas highways not always clear
NBC DFW Don’t Mess With Texas: Litterbugs Now Face Penalties
Let us know what you want fact-checked by submitting a tip! Please note that claims that are partially true or false cannot be checked. In addition, we are unable to check claims for which there are no credible, available sources to verify or dispute them.
Republishing is free for noncommercial entities. Commercial entities are prohibited without a licensing agreement. Contact us for details.
