Louisiana driving lesson · School Buses & Special Laws
Louisiana's litter law
A 3-minute lesson from the Louisiana course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.
Louisiana spends more than $40 million a year cleaning up its highways. Littering, whether accidental or deliberate, is against the law, and as the driver you answer for anything that leaves your vehicle, even if a passenger threw it.
Know the rule
Depending on its nature and severity, littering can bring civil or criminal prosecution.
Tobacco products, mostly cigarette butts, are the most littered item on Louisiana roads. Their acetate filters never fully break down, and they leak harmful chemicals.
Your passenger tosses a drink cup out the window on the highway. You, the driver, can be cited: the driver is responsible for litter from the vehicle, including what passengers throw.
Check your understanding
Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.
What is the highest littering fine listed in the handbook?
$500
$50
$5,000
$1,000
Answer: $5,000
Penalties range from a $50 fine plus 8 hours of community service up to a $5,000 fine, license suspension, jail and community service.