The amounts, by conduct
This is what most people come for, so it goes first. The bands below apply in apartment complexes, commercial and service areas, and public places.
- Discarding cigarette ends or ash other than where permitted: 100,000 to 150,000 VND
- Urinating or defecating other than where permitted: 150,000 to 250,000 VND
- Dumping waste or discharging wastewater other than where permitted: 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND
- Dumping waste on pavements, the roadway, or into the urban drainage system: 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 VND
The highest band is the act nobody thinks about
Notice that the top band for everyday conduct is not for a large dump but for putting waste on the pavement or roadway, or sweeping it into the urban drainage system.
Sweeping waste into a street drain is something people do without a second thought, and it sits in the highest bracket, because waste in the drains causes blockages and flooding.
Why older figures still circulate
Decree 45/2022/ND-CP replaced Decree 55 of 2021. Many articles were never updated and still quote the earlier amounts.
When you read a figure, check whether the article cites Decree 45/2022. That is the quickest test of whether the information is still usable.
Where to report it
- The ward or commune people’s committee, which manages the area directly
- The ward police, particularly if you saw the person or have a vehicle registration
- The district natural resources and environment office, for large quantities or hazardous waste
- The local hotline, where one exists
- If there is fire, smoke or leaking liquid that is an emergency, not an ordinary report
What a report should contain
- Exact location, ideally coordinates. On a dirt road or empty lot an address is usually not enough
- Two photos: one close to show the type of waste, one wider so the place can be found again
- The type: construction debris, furniture, tyres, garden waste, drums, asbestos cement sheets
- Approximate quantity, with something in frame for comparison
- The date, and how long it has been there if you know
- Origin clues visible without digging: delivery notes, labels, company names. Do not search the waste
What not to do
- Do not clear it before reporting and photographing. Well intentioned, and it removes the evidence
- Do not touch drums, sealed sacks or sheets that may contain asbestos
- Do not burn it. Burning household waste adds a problem rather than solving one
- Do not add to it. One dumping spot pulls others within days
Why a public record is worth keeping
A cleared spot returns to the same place with surprising regularity, for structural reasons: vehicles can reach it, nobody sees at night, and the collection point is far.
One report brings one clearance. A dated, photographed history of the same spot is different: it is the basis for requesting a barrier, a camera, signage or a nearer collection point. On CleanSpot each report keeps its photo, date and coordinates on a public map, and reopening the same spot builds that series.
It does not replace reporting to the ward and we do not present it as if it did. It is the evidence the file usually lacks.
Sources
What is the fine for littering in Vietnam?
Under Decree 45/2022/ND-CP: cigarette ends 100,000 to 150,000 VND; dumping waste or wastewater other than where permitted 500,000 to 1,000,000 VND; waste on pavements, roadways or into the drainage system 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 VND.
Are cigarette ends really finable?
Yes. Discarding cigarette ends or ash other than where permitted carries 100,000 to 150,000 VND.
Why does every site give a different amount?
Mostly because older articles cite Decree 55 of 2021, which was replaced by Decree 45/2022/ND-CP.
Can I clear it myself?
Not before reporting and photographing it, or the evidence is lost. And never touch drums or sheets that might contain asbestos.