Litter Act 1979

Offences and penalties

16: Wilful breaking of bottles or glass

You could also call this:

"Breaking bottles or glass in public or private places without permission is against the law"

If you break a bottle or glass in a public place without permission, you can get in trouble. You might have to go to prison for up to one month or pay a fine of up to $7,500, or you might have to do both. This also applies if you break a bottle or glass on private land without the owner's permission.

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This page was last updated on 19 May 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM33475.

Topics:

Environment and resources > ConservationCrime and justice > Criminal law

15: Deposit of litter in public place or on private land, or

"Don't throw rubbish in public or on private land without permission or you might get fined."

17: Offences in respect of Officers, or

"What happens if you don't cooperate with or pretend to be a Litter Control Officer"

16Wilful breaking of bottles or glass

Every person commits an offence, and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 month or to a fine not exceeding $7,500, or to both, who wilfully breaks any bottle, or any glass, or any article made of glass, in or on any public place without lawful authority or without the express consent of the public authority having the control or management of the public place, or in or on any private land without lawful authority or without the express consent of the occupier of the private land.

Compare

1968 No 134 s 11

Notes

Section 16: amended, on 1 July 2013, by section 413 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2011 (2011 No 81).
Section 16: amended, on 28 June 2006, by section 9 of the Litter Amendment Act 2006 (2006 No 24).