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$10 fee at county dumps for unsecured vehicle loads
If you bring an unsecured or uncovered load to a Kitsap County solid waste facility, you will be charged a $10 fee. This applies to all types of materials and vehicles, no matter the height of the truck bed or how far you traveled.
To avoid this fee, show the staff that everything is tied down. Don't remove tarps, nets, straps, or tie-downs before you arrive. This includes bagged items, loose trash, trash cans and lids, recyclables, yard waste, tarps, covers, and both large and small items.
Collected fees are used by the Clean Kitsap Program to clean up roadside litter.
When do you need to secure your load?
Secure all items in every vehicle load, no matter how short the distance or how slow the speed. Unsecured vehicle loads cause over 300 traffic crashes and 30 injuries in Washington every year and cause up to 40% of roadside litter — let's change that here in Kitsap.
Tips for securing vehicle loads
It's quick and easy to secure your load. Watch our videos or follow these tips:
Secure every load with straps, nets, tarps, and other tie-downs to prevent items from falling out, sliding, shifting, or becoming airborne.
Securely fasten large items directly to your vehicle or trailer.
Cover your entire load with a tarp or net to prevent smaller items from blowing out, and secure the cover.
Double check your load to make sure all is secure.
Don't overload your vehicle.
Talk with your friends, family, and coworkers about the importance of load security, and ask them to secure their load.
Get more tips from the Washington Department of Ecology.
Call 911 if you see an unsecured load
Call 911 if you see a dangerous unsecured load or witness something fall from a vehicle that could cause a crash.
To report litter escaping from a commercial waste collection truck, email the Department of Ecology at Amber.Smith@ecy.wa.gov. Reports are sent to the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association, the group representing major trash haulers. Include the location, time, date, company name, and truck number if available.
Littering and driving with an unsecured vehicle load are against the law in Washington, with fines up to $5,000. If an item falls out and causes bodily harm or property damage, the driver could also face jail time.
- Washington law requires motorists to cover and secure their load to prevent cargo from breaking free. RCW 46.61.655 and 46.37.490
- A 1993 law requires Washington solid waste facilities to charge a fee for unsecured and uncovered loads. RCW 70A.200.120
- Kitsap County Code authorizes facility staff to collect the fee. KCC 9.18
- The Washington Commercial Vehicle Guide includes load securement information on page 1-2.
- The Washington Driver Guide includes secured load information on page 2-5.
- Washington Administrative Code provides standards for load fastening devices. Chapter 204-44
This campaign is funded in part by a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology.
