While some Texans enjoy a hearty game of backyard washer toss, others prefer something far more sinister: the one-two trash toss from their car windows. We’re talking about cigarette butts, fast-food wrappers and the like. They’re small, but they’re still trash.

So what do you do when you see trash being tossed out of a car window or accidentally flying out of a truck bed? Instead of hog-tying the offender to your car, we suggest turning them in through the Texas Department of Transportation’s Report a Litterer Program.

1. When you see litter exit a vehicle, intentionally or accidentally, write down the following information—license plate number, make and color of vehicle, date and time, location, who tossed the litter and what was tossed. Now fill in below; be as accurate as possible and submit:

   • Texas license plate number (Texas plates only)
   • Make of vehicle
   • Time of day
   • Location
   • Date
   • Who tossed (driver, passenger or accidental)
   • What was tossed

2. TxDOT compares the information to our vehicle registration database and when an exact match is located, we send the litterer a Don’t Mess with Texas litterbag along with a letter reminding them to keep their trash off of our roads.

And you can feel good about doing something to clean up our beloved Lone Star State.

FAQ