Adopt-a-Highway

Update: Adopt-a-Highway volunteer work can resume starting May 1 with new safety protocols

After more than a year of being on pause due to pandemic safety concerns, volunteer Adopt-a-Highway crews can begin resuming their vital work – provided they follow new COVID-19 safety measures.

The new safety guidelines are listed below and are available from local coordinators. Group leaders can contact their local coordinators to begin scheduling cleanup dates.

• Adopt-a-Highway COVID safety protocols (PDF 170kb)
• Pre-Activity Safety Plan (PDF 65kb)

We thank everyone for their patience during the suspension of volunteer activities. Safety of volunteers and our employees remains our top priority and we’re happy to have found a road forward for Adopt-a-Highway volunteer groups.

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About the Adopt-a-Highway program

The Adopt-a-Highway (AAH) program is an anti-litter and highway enhancement campaign intended to promote pride and ownership in keeping our state beautiful. This program allows individuals and groups to "adopt" a section of state highway by agreeing to take care of it for a two-year period. Volunteer groups may be clubs, employees of a business, or concerned citizens. All participants must be at least 15 years of age and in good health. In the expanded program, a private sponsor may hire a professional contractor to clean or enhance a section of highway in return for a sign with the business name and/or logo.

Volunteers or sponsored contractors perform roadside litter removal in an effort to:

• Keep the state clean
• Help save taxpayer money
• Remind people not to litter

Typically, an assigned section includes between two and four miles of roadside. We will install signs, giving recognition to the individual or group that has adopted that section of highway.

We also provide traffic control equipment, safety equipment, safety training, litterbags and disposal of filled bags for volunteer groups.

Adopt-a-Highway history

Washington's Adopt-a-Highway program started in 1990. In addition to this, many counties and cities have started their own Adopt-a-Road or Adopt-a-Street programs. Trails and beaches have also been included in other adoption programs. Please contact your county or city office for more information about those programs.

The first Adopt-a-Highway program began in Texas in 1985. Concerned citizens wanted to help clean up the littered highways. Since then, thousands of groups have volunteered their time and effort picking up litter on highways all over the country. Forty-nine of the 50 states in the U.S. have a program like Adopt-a-Highway.