What could happen to Boca Bash boaters who dumped their garbage? Here are Florida litter laws

A weekend incident involving trash thrown into the ocean near the Boca Inlet has the "world watching" and Floridians wondering what the state's littering law is.

And what are the penalties?

Reactions on social media ranged from disgust to hoping authorities would put the violators into jail for months and seize the boat.

Here's what you should know about what happened at the Boca Bash and what Florida's littering laws are.

Boca Bash trash dumping in the ocean? What happened?

Two large cans of garbage were thrown from a boat into the Atlantic Ocean off the Boca Inlet during the Boca Bash, which happens on the last weekend in April. The incident was captured on drone video and posted on Instagram and YouTube by wavy_boats.

"This one is pretty unbelievable guys. We filmed this crew leaving Boca Bash 2024 yesterday at 1500mm zoom. Turns out they went out and dumped 2 trash cans full of garbage into the ocean. Is getting fined enough? What are your thoughts on consequences for an incident like this?" wavy_boats posted on Instagram.

'The world is watching' as boaters dump garbage into Atlantic

"This has become a worldwide story," Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto said Wednesday, May 1, at a commission meeting in Daytona Beach. "The world is watching this. "

"This is clearly poor decisions made by young people," said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Col. Brian Smith, director of the division of law enforcement. "When the drone captured the actual amount of trash, it was considerable."

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FWC is the lead investigating agency on the incident, but Barreto said the Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection are also involved, as well as the State Attorney's Office.

"These are all juveniles, but we need to send a message that Florida doesn't tolerate this and that we want to protect our environment," Barreto said.

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What is considered littering in Florida?

Florida's Litter Law is covered by Florida Statutes 403.413.

The law states it is illegal unless otherwise authorized by law or permit for anyone to dump litter in any manner or amount:

• In or on any public highway, road, street, alley, or thoroughfare, including rights-of-way or any other public land. If any litter is thrown from a motor vehicle, the operator or owner of the motor vehicle, or both, shall be deemed in violation of the law.

• In or on any freshwater lake, river, canal, or stream or tidal or coastal water of the state, including canals. If any litter is thrown or discarded from a boat, the operator or owner of the boat, or both, shall be deemed in violation of the law.

• In or on any private property, unless prior consent of the owner has been given and unless the dumping of such litter by such person will not cause a public nuisance or otherwise be in violation of any other state or local law, rule, or regulation.

And in case you're wondering, dumping raw human waste is prohibited on any public or private lands or waters of the state.

How much is a littering ticket in Florida?

The penalty for littering in Florida depends on the amount dumped. Here's the breakdown:

• Dumping an amount not more than 15 pounds or more than 27 cubic feet:

  • Noncriminal infraction, punishable by a civil penalty of $100.

  • The court may require the violator to pick up litter or perform other labor commensurate with the offense committed.

• Dumping an amount between 15 and 500 pounds or between 27 and 100 cubic feet:

  • Guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, which is punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding 1 year and/or a fine of $1,000.

  • The court shall require the violator to pick up litter or perform other community service commensurate with the offense committed.

  • If the violation involves the use of a motor vehicle, if found guilty — whether or not adjudication is withheld or whether imposition of sentence is withheld, deferred, or suspended — the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shall record a penalty of three points on the violator’s driver’s license.

• Dumping more than 500 pounds or 100 cubic feet or dumping litter which is a hazardous waste:

  • Guilty of a felony of the third degree, which is punishable by a term of imprisonment not exceeding five years and/or a fine up to $5,000.

  • The court may order the violator to remove the litter that was dumped.

  • The violator may be ordered to repair or restore property damaged by, or pay damages for any damage caused by the dumping.

  • The violator may be ordered to perform public service relating to the removal of litter dumped or to restore the area polluted by litter.

  • A motor vehicle, vessel, aircraft, container, crane, winch, or machine used to dump litter that exceeds 500 pounds is declared contraband and is subject to forfeiture.

  • If a person is injured as a result of the littering, the violator may be ordered to pay the injured party threefold the actual damages or $200, whichever amount is greater, in addition to the injured party’s court costs and attorney’s fees.

Local municipalities may have their own penalties. Marion County commissioned a task force in 2022 to address the problems of trash dumping and established increasing fines and jail time for repeated offenses.

Social media takes boaters to task for dumping

What is the Boca Bash?

Boca Bash is a party held on Lake Boca on the last weekend in April. The event attracts as many as 6,000 to 10,000 people each year.

Boca Bash's Facebook page described the free event as a "once a year epic lake gathering."

Contributor: Kimberly Miller, Palm Beach Post

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida littering: How much ticket, penalties