LITTER

Las Vegas Municipal Code tit. 9, ch. 9.12

in effect

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.010 Findings—Purpose.

9.12.010 - Findings—Purpose. Whereas the daily volume of litter carelessly deposited in the City has reached alarming proportions; the heedless avalanche of paper, wrappings, bottles, cans and waste of every conceivable kind is a cause of civic disgrace; litter is unsightly, dirty and offensive; it is a fire, health and safety hazard; litter has a deleterious effect on property values; it destroys community pride and makes the City a less desirable place in which to live; combating litter is a costly waste of men, money and material, it is the purpose of this Chapter to bring about a public awareness of the problem and to effect a litter control program. (Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-1)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.020 Definitions.

9.12.020 - Definitions. In the construction of this Chapter, the following definitions shall be observed unless the context clearly requires otherwise: (A) "Garbage" means refuse, animal and vegetable matter from a kitchen, market, store, or any source, including every refuse accumulation of animal, fruit or vegetable matter, liquid or otherwise, that attends preparation, use, cooking, dealing in or storing of meat, fish, fowl, fruits or vegetables, and all foul, noisome and filthy substances. (B) "Litter" means garbage, refuse or rubbish as defined in this Section and all other waste material which, if thrown or deposited as herein prohibited, is unsightly, dirty or offensive or tends to create a fire hazard or danger to public health, safety or welfare. (C) "Person" means any person, firm, partnership, association, corporation, company or organization of any kind. (D) "Public place" means any and all streets, sidewalks, boulevards, alleys or other public ways and any and all public parks, squares, spaces, grounds, and buildings. (E) "Refuse" means all solid and liquid wastes including, but not limited to, garbage, rubbish, ashes, street cleanings, dead animals, abandoned vehicles, dismantled vehicles, parts of dismantled and abandoned vehicles, and commercial and industrial wastes. (F) "Rubbish" means all old metal, wood, paper, glass or synthetic containers, old metal, wire, rope, cordage, rubber and nonserviceable tires, paper, wood shavings, and all unusable or nonserviceable materials, including, but not limited to, old plaster, brick, cement, glass, old building materials, leaves, yard trimmings, weeds and similar matter. (Ord. 2113 § 1 (part), 1980: Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-2(A—F))

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.030 Compost piles, firewood and stored materials.

9.12.030 - Compost piles, firewood and stored materials. (A) Nothing in this Chapter shall be so construed as to prevent persons from creating and maintaining a compost pile as permitted by Health Department regulations, to accumulate and store firewood if there is a fireplace on the premises, to store serviceable vehicular parts for owned vehicles and to store useable materials for use on the property, provided such parts and materials are not stored in quantities or locations prohibited by any other provision of this Code. All such compost, firewood and stored materials shall not: (1) Be visible from the street; (2) Constitute a public nuisance or nuisance to neighbors; (3) Create a health or fire hazard; or (4) Be stored in the front or side yards. (B) Storage in the back yard shall be permitted if the yard is enclosed by a six-foot high opaque fence; however, if the abutting property is undeveloped, the opaque fencing shall not be required until the adjacent property is developed. (Ord. 2113 § 1 (part), 1980: Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-2(G))

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.040 Declaration of nuisance.

9.12.040 - Declaration of nuisance. Litter, as defined in Section 9.12.020, and for the purpose of this Chapter, is a nuisance. (Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-3)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.050 Litter on private property.

9.12.050 - Litter on private property. No person shall throw or deposit litter on any private property within the City, whether owned by such person or not, except in receptacles for collection in such manner that litter will be prevented from being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk or other public place or upon any private property. (Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-4)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.060 Owner to maintain premises free of litter.

9.12.060 - Owner to maintain premises free of litter. The owner or person in control of any private property shall at all times maintain the premises free of litter; provided, however, that this Section shall not prohibit the storage of litter in suitable receptacles or in appropriate enclosures for collection. Debris that may be subject to being carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, sidewalk, or other public place or upon any private property shall regularly be securely deposited in appropriate receptacles or other enclosures for collection and disposal. (Ord. 3153 § 1, 1985: Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-5)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.070 Litter in public places.

9.12.070 - Litter in public places. No person shall throw or deposit, or cause to be thrown or deposited, in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public place within the City any litter. (Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-6)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.080 Noncompliance with regulations—Order to comply.

9.12.080 - Noncompliance with regulations—Order to comply. Upon determination by the Director of Community Development or a designee that private property is maintained or allowed to remain in violation of this Chapter, the Director or designee may issue an order to correct the offending condition. Such order shall be served upon the owner of the property, as shown by the Clark County Assessor's records, by mailing a copy of the order by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the address of the owner as shown by the records of the Clark County Assessor. In the alternative, the notice may be delivered by hand to the owner of the property or the person in control of the property. The order shall describe the offending condition and request correction or compliance within ten days from the date of the mailing of the notice or seven days from delivery of the notice by hand. (Ord. No. 6816, § 87, 8-17-22; Ord. 3153 § 2, 1985: Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-7(A))

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.090 Noncompliance with regulations—Right of appeal by owner.

9.12.090 - Noncompliance with regulations—Right of appeal by owner. Any owner who may claim that his property is not in the condition described in Section 9.12.080 and that he is not subject to such order may, within seven days after the order has been mailed or three working days after the order has been delivered by hand, apply in writing to the City Council for an order rescinding such order. Upon application being made, the order to comply shall be stayed pending a decision by the Council. The Council shall forthwith order a hearing on the appeal, of which at least five days' notice shall be given to the owner and, after the hearing, shall either rescind, modify or affirm the order of compliance. (Ord. 3153 § 3, 1985: Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-7(B))

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.100 Noncompliance with regulations—Failure to comply with notice.

9.12.100 - Noncompliance with regulations—Failure to comply with notice. In the event the owner fails to comply with the order and correct the conditions specified herein, the Director of Community Development or designee is authorized and empowered to cause or employ City personnel and equipment or other persons and equipment to enter upon the premises and correct the offending condition. (Ord. No. 6816, § 88, 8-17-22; Ord. 3195 § 1, 1985: Ord. 3133 § 1, 1984: Ord. 3065 § 2, 1983: Ord. 1876 § 1 (part), 1977: prior code § 8-3A-7(C))

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.110 Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Recordkeeping and reporting requirements.

9.12.110 - Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The Director of Building and Safety shall keep an itemized account of the expense incurred by the City pursuant to Section 9.12.100. The Director shall file with the City Clerk a report specifying the work done pursuant to Section 9.12.100, the itemized and total cost of the work, including an administrative processing fee in the amount of seventy-five dollars, a description of the real property upon which the work was done, and the date on which the work was done. (Ord. 3281 § 1, 1987: Ord. 3195 § 3 (part), 1985)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.120 Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Hearing—Notice.

9.12.120 - Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Hearing—Notice. The City Clerk shall present the report described in Section 9.12.110 to the City Council for consideration. The City Council shall fix a time, date and place for hearing that report and any protests or objections to it. The City Clerk shall cause notice of the hearing to be posted upon the property involved, published once in a newspaper of general circulation in the City, and served by certified mail, postage prepaid, addressed to the owner of the property as shown by the records of the Clark County Assessor. Such notice shall be given at least ten days before the date set for hearing and shall specify the day, hour and place where the City Council will hear and pass the Director's report, together with any objections or protests which may be filed as provided by this Chapter by any person interested in or affected by the proposed charge. (Ord. 3195 § 3 (part), 1985)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.130 Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Filing objections and protests.

9.12.130 - Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Filing objections and protests. Any person interested in or affected by the proposed charge may file written protests or objections with the City Clerk at any time before the time set for the hearing on the report. Each such protest or objection must contain a description of the property in which the signer is interested and the grounds of the protest or objection. The City Clerk shall endorse on every such protest or objection the date it was received, and shall present such protests or objections to the City Council at the time set for the hearing. (Ord. 3195 § 3 (part), 1985)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.140 Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Hearing—Determination.

9.12.140 - Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Hearing—Determination. At the hearing, the City Council shall hear and pass upon the report of the Director, together with any objections or protests. The City Council may make such revision, correction or modification in the report or the charge as it may deem just. When it is satisfied with the correctness of the charge, the City Council shall confirm or reject the report (as submitted or as revised, corrected or modified) together with the charge. The decision of the City Council on the report and the charge, and on all protests or objections, shall be final and conclusive. (Ord. 3195 § 3 (part), 1985)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.150 Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Lien against property involved.

9.12.150 - Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Lien against property involved. (A) Except as otherwise provided pursuant to subsection (B) of this Section, the charge as confirmed by the City Council pursuant to Section 9.12.140 shall be a special assessment and a lien on the property involved. The lien shall be perfected by filing with the County Recorder a statement by the City Clerk regarding the amount of the expenses that are due and unpaid and describing the property subject to the lien. The lien, which shall be prior to and superior to all liens, claims, encumbrances and titles, other than liens of assessments and general taxes, shall continue until the assessment is paid. The collection of the assessment shall be subject to and in accordance with the provisions of Sections 9.12.160 and 9.12.170. (B) As an alternative to the provisions of subsection (A) of this Section, the City Council may order that a charge confirmed pursuant to Section 9.12.140 be paid on such other terms and collected by such other means as the Council deems appropriate. (Ord. 3423 § 2, 1989: Ord. 3195 § 3 (part), 1985)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.160 Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Addition of assessment to tax bill of property involved.

9.12.160 - Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Addition of assessment to tax bill of property involved. Unless some other method of payment or collection is specifically permitted by the City Council pursuant to subsection (B) of Section 9.12.150, after confirmation of the charge, certified copies of the assessment shall be given to the County Treasurer, who shall add the amount of the assessment to the next regular tax bill levied against the parcel for municipal purposes. (Ord. 3423 § 3, 1989: Ord. 3195 § 3 (part), 1985)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.170 Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Collection of assessment.

9.12.170 - Expenses incurred by City pursuant to Section 9.12.100—Collection of assessment. Unless some other method of payment or collection is specifically permitted by the City Council pursuant to subsection (B) of Section 9.12.150, the amount of the assessment shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ordinary taxes are collected, and shall be subject to the same penalties and procedure and sale in case of delinquency as provided for ordinary property taxes. All laws applicable to levy, collection and enforcement of property taxes shall be applicable to such assessment. (Ord. 3423 § 4, 1989: Ord. 3195 § 3 (part), 1985)

Las Vegas Municipal Code § 9.12.180 Violation of Sections 9.12.030, 9.12.050, 9.12.060 or 9.12.070—Penalty.

9.12.180 - Violation of Sections 9.12.030, 9.12.050, 9.12.060 or 9.12.070—Penalty. Any person who violates or fails to comply with any of the provisions of Sections 9.12.030, 9.12.050, 9.12.060 or 9.12.070 of this Chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished by a fine of not less than fifty dollars nor more than five hundred dollars, imprisonment in the City Jail for not less than thirty days or more than six months, or both. Every day of such violation constitutes a separate offense. (Ord. 3450 § 1, 1989: Ord. 3195 § 3, 1985)

Source: City of Las Vegas, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/nv/las_vegas/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TIT9HESA_CH9.12LIFetched: 10/28/2026