Madison Park

North Carolina Dept. of Transportation Swat-A-Litterbug

You can Help Keep our STATE Beautiful

The Swat-A-Litterbug Program is an educational effort administered by the Office of Beautification Programs within the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Littering North Carolina roadways is not an acceptable behavior - never has been! Some people simply need to be informed and reminded that their littering, whether deliberate or unintentional, can end with their personal commitment to stop.

In order to communicate to people who litter (litterbugs), we are asking every citizen to assist us in our educational effort to ensure a cleaner and safer North Carolina roadway system.

Let us know when a person is littering by contacting our Office of Beautification Programs through the Swat-A-Litterbug process:

E-mail us: On-line Swat-A-Litterbug form to report a litterbug at http://www.ncdot.org/doh/operations/dp_chief_eng/roadside/Beautification/Litterbug/salform.html
Mail in the Swat-A-Litterbug card*

Call our Customer Service Office at 1-877-DOT-4YOU (1-877-368-4968)
Upon receipt of the litterbug information, we will:

Notify the vehicle owner of the littering offense

Inform the vehicle owner of the penalties for littering

Urge the litterbug to stop littering
A formal notification is signed by the Colonel of the State Highway Patrol (click here). This letter helps us educate and remind citizens of their civic responsibility to protect the environment.

The Swat-A-Litterbug Program provides every citizen an opportunity to be an active participant in ensuring the roadways of North Carolina are kept clean, beautiful, and safe.

* To obtain Swat-A-Litterbug cards, call 1-800-331-5864

Letter that comes from the NC Highway Patrol

STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
MICHAEL F. EASLEY LYNDO TIPPETT
GOVERNOR SECRETARY
MAILING ADDRESS:
OFFICE OF BEAUTIFICATION PROGRAMS
1540 MAIL SERVICE CENTER
RALEIGH NC 27699-1540
Telephone: 919-715-3188
FAX: 919-715-2554
Website: www.dot.state.nc.us/beautification
Keep NC Clean & Green
LOCATION:
TRANSPORTATION BUILDING
1 SOUTH WILMINGTON STREET
RALEIGH NC
February 23, 2006
«Title» «FirstName» «LastName»
«Address»
«City», NC «PostalCode»
Dear «Title» «LastName»:
Recently, a citizen reported someone for discarding «type» from a vehicle with license plate number
«license_plate», and reported it to the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s
Swat-A-Litterbug program. This incident was observed at «hwy» on «date» in «location». At times
people have made mistakes in recording numbers, and if that is the case, please accept our apology. If
it is not a mistake, please make a conscious effort to properly dispose of your trash.
Littering is against the law. Had a law enforcement officer rather than a citizen seen this, the driver
could have been fined up to $1,000 for the first offense and up to $2,000 for the second offense. Also,
upon a finding of guilt, the driver would have received a penalty of one point on his/her driver’s
license.
Litter is a costly problem. Cleaning litter from North Carolina’s roadsides costs taxpayers millions of
dollars each year. Also, cigarette butts are considered litter and are not readily biodegradable.
There are many things you can do to combat the growing litter problem, but the easiest way to help is
to set a good example for others by not littering.
Here are some ways you can make a difference:
• Teach young people not to litter.
• Cover truck beds when transporting trash or other loose items.
• Carry and use the enclosed litter bag in your vehicle.
Please help us Keep North Carolina Clean and Green. The Swat-A-Litterbug program is supported in
part by donations to the “Partners for a Litter-Free N.C.” fund. To find out more about NCDOT’s
anti-litter programs, call 1-800-331-5864.
Sincerely,
Commanding, NC Highway Patrol