LITTER

Oklahoma City Municipal Code ch. 27

in effect

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-1 Definitions.

§ 27-1. - Definitions. The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this chapter, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning: (1) Litter means garbage, refuse, rubbish, dirt, trash, and all like material. (2) Refuse means all putrescible and nonputrescible solid wastes, including ashes, dead animals, solid market and industrial wastes and other similar materials. (3) Rubbish means nonputrescible solid wastes consisting of both combustible and noncombustible wastes, in solid or semisolid form, including, but not limited to, ashes or incinerator residue, street wastes, demolition wastes, industrial wastes, tin cans, wood, leaves, glass, pieces of iron and other metals and other similar materials. (4) Trash means any refuse, litter, ashes, leaves, debris, paper, combustible materials, rubbish, offal, waste, or matter of any kind or form which is uncared for, discarded or abandoned. (5) Vehicle means every device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn. (Code 1970, § 21-68; Ord. No. 17322, § 1(21-68), 9-6-83; Code 1980, § 27-1; Ord. No. 21384, § 1, 12-14-99)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-2 Prohibited generally.

§ 27-2. - Prohibited generally. (a) No person shall throw or abandon litter upon any public property or private property except as specifically provided for in this chapter. (b) Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class "a" offense against the City. For any second or subsequent offense and upon proof of conviction, said person shall be guilty of a Class "b" offense. (Code 1970, § 21-69; Code 1980, § 27-2; Ord. No. 21384, § 2, 12-14-99; Ord. No. 22224, § 1, 5-28-03; Ord. No. 22771, § 1, 7-19-05)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-3 Littering from vehicles prohibited.

§ 27-3. - Littering from vehicles prohibited. (a) No driver or operator of a vehicle shall throw, permit to be thrown or abandon any litter upon public or private property. (b) No vehicle shall be driven or moved on any roadway unless such vehicle is so constructed or loaded as to prevent any of its load from dropping, shifting, leaking, blowing or otherwise escaping therefrom, except that sand may be dropped for the purpose of securing traction, or water or other substances may be sprinkled on a roadway in cleaning or maintaining such roadway. (c) No person shall operate on any roadway any vehicle with any load unless said load and any covering thereon is securely fastened so as to prevent said covering or load from becoming loose, detached, or in any manner a hazard to other users of the roadway. Any vehicle loaded with sand, cinders or other loose material susceptible to blowing or escaping by reason of wind shall have such load covered or dampened so as to prevent the blowing or escaping of said load from the vehicle. (d) No person shall operate, or cause to be operated, a vehicle, any part of which is covered or laden with dirt, mud, clay or other material from any construction, excavation, parking or other site, in such a manner or condition that the material will become tracked or shall fall upon the roadway; provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall not apply to persons who must enter upon improved or paved roadways from unimproved or nonpaved roadways or residential driveways. (e) There shall be prima facie presumption the registered owner of a vehicle committed a violation. In any prosecution charging a violation of this section, proof that the particular vehicle described in the complaint was used for the purpose of unlawfully throwing or abandoning litter as prohibited therein together with proof that the individual named in the complaint was at the time of the violation the registered owner of said vehicle shall constitute in evidence a prima facie presumption that the registered owner of said vehicle was the person who committed the violation. (f) Any person who violates this section shall be guilty of a Class "a" offense against the City. For any second or subsequent offense and upon proof of conviction, said person shall be guilty of a Class "b" offense. (Code 1970, § 21-69.1; Code 1980, § 27-3; Ord. No. 19357, § 1, 2-13-90; Ord. No. 21384, § 3, 12-14-99; Ord. No. 22771, § 1, 7-19-05)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-4 Deposit of refuse, rubbish or dirt on public or private property.

§ 27-4. - Deposit of refuse, rubbish or dirt on public or private property. (a) No person shall place or cause to be placed in or upon any public or private ground any refuse or rubbish unless it is in suitable receptacles and disposed of in a regular and proper manner by the Solid Waste Management Division of the Utilities Department in accordance with its rules and regulations. (b) No person doing work or making excavations in any parking area shall place or cause to be placed any dirt or refuse therefrom onto any paved street or sidewalk. (c) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a Class "a" offense against the City. For any second and subsequent offense and upon proof of conviction, said person shall be guilty of a Class "b" offense. (Code 1970, § 21-70; Ord. No. 17029, § 1, 1-18-83; Code 1980, § 27-4; Ord. No. 20456, § 1, 10-24-95; Ord. No. 21384, § 4, 12-14-99; Ord. No. 22771, § 1, 7-19-05; Ord. No. 23451, § 5, 9-25-07)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-5 Allowing dirt or rubbish to wash or blow onto public property.

§ 27-5. - Allowing dirt or rubbish to wash or blow onto public property. (a) No owner, occupant or agent of any land abutting upon any public property shall allow the earth, or any rubbish from the land, to fall, or wash, upon any part of the public property. (b) Any person who violates any provision of Subsection (a) shall be guilty of a Class "a" offense against the City. For any second or subsequent offense and upon proof of prior conviction, said person shall be guilty of a Class "b" offense. Any person who violates any provision of Subsection (a) on two consecutive calendar days shall be guilty of a Class "b" offense. (Code 1970, § 21-71; Ord. No. 17030, § 1, 1-18-83; Code 1980, § 27-5; Ord. No. 20456, § 1, 10-24-95; Ord. No. 22771, § 1, 7-19-05)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-6 Depositing materials which are likely to blow around.

§ 27-6. - Depositing materials which are likely to blow around. No person shall sweep, throw, or abandon in any manner, or cause to be swept, thrown, or abandoned, into or upon any lot or piece of ground, whether the lot or ground shall belong to himself or another, any litter of any kind whatever, which can be or is likely to be blown by the wind along the streets or walks. (Code 1970, § 21-72; Code 1980, § 27-6)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-7 Businesses to provide facilities for disposal of materials.

§ 27-7. - Businesses to provide facilities for disposal of materials. Business establishments which deliver their products to customers for consumption or use on or off the premises are to provide suitable containers adequate in number and location for the disposal of any wrappings of the products abandoned on said premises; and are to, further, maintain the outside premises housing such business establishment clear of abandoned wrappings or other items of litter associated with the conduct of said business. (Code 1970, § 21-72.1; Code 1980, § 27-7)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-8 Removal of spilled materials.

§ 27-8. - Removal of spilled materials. (a) All material or dirt deposited or spilled on public property shall be immediately removed by either the driver or the person by whom he is employed. The failure to immediately remove all of the material or earth so deposited or spilled shall render both the driver and the person by whom he is employed subject to a fine. (b) Each day that such material or dirt so wasted or spilled remains on the public property shall constitute a separate and distinct offense. (Code 1970, § 21-74; Code 1980, § 27-8)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-9 Prohibited hauling or depositing of refuse.

§ 27-9. - Prohibited hauling or depositing of refuse. (a) Unless expressly permitted by other law or by permission of an agency of the State of Oklahoma, no person shall dump or deposit any litter, refuse, rubbish or trash, including without limitation toxic substances, manure, garbage, offal matter, debris, junk or household waste, hereinafter defined in this Section as "prohibited materials," on any public or private property, or dump or deposit any prohibited materials within the City's limits, for any purpose whatsoever. No person shall engage in the business of hauling or carrying or disposing of prohibited materials without first securing an applicable written permit from the State of Oklahoma. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit the otherwise lawful hauling and dumping of dirt, sand, rock and gravel for landfill purposes. (b) No person shall permit, assist or allow another person to dump or deposit prohibited materials in violation of Subsection (a). (c) No registered owner of a vehicle shall allow or permit another person to use the vehicle in any manner that violates Subsection (a). (d) Any person who shall violate any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class "a" offense. For any second and subsequent offense and upon proof of conviction, said person shall be guilty of a Class "b" offense. (Code 1970, § 21-80(a)—(c); Ord. No. 16167, § 1, 4-21-81; Ord. No. 16168, § 1, 4-21-81; Ord. No. 17320, § 1(21-80), 9-6-83; Code 1980, § 27-9; Ord. No. 19357, § 1, 2-13-90; Ord. No. 20456, § 1, 10-24-95; Ord. No. 21384, § 5, 12-14-99; Ord. No. 22771, § 1, 7-19-05; Ord. No. 22791, § 1, 8-2-05)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-10 Allowing refuse to be deposited or to remain on premises.

§ 27-10. - Allowing refuse to be deposited or to remain on premises. (a) No owner or occupant of lands or lots shall knowingly permit the throwing or dumping upon his premises of any manure, garbage, offal matter, rubbish, debris, trash, junk or similar material, or permit such materials to remain on his premises after being notified to remove them by the Health Department, or any other officer of the City, whether he shall have known of or permitted the throwing or depositing or not. (b) Any person found guilty of violating this section shall be guilty of a Class "a" offense against the City. For any second or subsequent offense and upon proof of conviction, said person shall be guilty of a Class "b" offense. (Code 1970, § 21-80(c), (d); Ord. No. 16167, § 1, 4-21-81; Ord. No. 16168, § 1, 4-21-81; Ord. No. 17320, § 1, 9-6-83; Code 1980, § 27-10; Ord. No. 20456, § 1, 10-24-95; Ord. No. 22771, § 1, 7-19-05)

Oklahoma City Municipal Code § 27-11 Duty of maintenance of private property.

§ 27-11. - Duty of maintenance of private property. (a) No person owning, leasing, occupying or having charge of any premises shall maintain or keep any junk, trash, or similar material thereon; nor shall such person allow the accumulation of said material, notwithstanding such person did not permit said accumulation; nor shall any such person keep or maintain such premises in a manner causing substantial diminution in the value of the other property in the neighborhood in which such premises are located. (b) Any person who shall violate any of the provisions hereof shall be deemed guilty of a Class "b" offense against the City and upon conviction thereof shall be punished as such. (c) Every day that a violation exists shall be a separate violation subject to application of the full penalty contained herein. Each violation shall constitute a separate offense. (Ord. No. 17321, § 1(21-80.1), 9-6-83; Code 1980, § 27-11; Ord. No. 20456, § 1, 10-24-95; Ord. No. 21765, § 1, 7-17-01)

Source: City of Oklahoma City, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ok/oklahoma_city/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=OKMUCO2020_CH27LIFetched: 10/28/2026