Virginia's Adopt-A-Highway program enlists the support of over 20,000 citizens in removing litter from Commonwealth roadsides. Running since the 1980's, this program is a key strategy in maintaining a positive travel experience for residents and visitors, and in preventing litter from entering local waterways.
Please see our FAQ and Terms & Conditions to learn more.
VDOT is proud that you would consider joining the growing ranks of over 20,000 Adopt-A-Highway volunteers across Virginia. We all have a shared mission of keeping Virginia beautiful for residents and visitors. This is also a key part of Virginia's environmental strategy to prevent litter from entering wild areas and waterways.
Participation in Virginia's Adopt-A-Highway program is free. Highway Adopters commit to cleaning your stretch of highway at least two times per year, for an adoption period of three years. Highway Adopters must report their pickups to VDOT so we can accurately account for your efforts.
VDOT provides Highway Adopters with safety equipment and trash bags. VDOT will install two signs recognizing your group’s adoption after you have reported two successful litter pickups.
The Adopt-A-Highway program is managed by local coordinators in each VDOT residency. Contact your local area coordinator for questions or to apply to Adopt-A-Highway. General Adopt-A-Highway inquiries may be sent to the statewide coordinator at adoptahighway@vdot.virginia.gov.
Note: In the Hampton Roads area, the seven cities (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton and Newport News) have their own programs. Check their websites.
Counties | Residency | Phone | |
Smyth, Washington | Abingdon | aah-abingdon@vdot.virginia.gov | 276-676-5503 |
Accomack, Northampton | Accomac | aah-accomac@vdot.virginia.gov | 757-787-5856 |
Amherst, Appomattox, Campbell, Nelson | Appomattox | aah-appomattox@vdot.virginia.gov | 434-352-7135 |
Charles City, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico ,New Kent | Ashland | aah-ashland@vdot.virginia.gov | 804-585-3564 |
Bedford, Franklin | Bedford | aah-bedford@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-586-7910 |
Albemarle, Greene, Madison | Charlottesville | aah-charlottesville@vdot.virginia.gov | 434-293-0011 |
Amelia, Chesterfield, Powhatan | Chesterfield | aah-chesterfield@vdot.virginia.gov | 804-674-2800 |
Floyd, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski | Christiansburg | aah-christiansburg@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-381-7201 |
Clarke, Frederick, Shenandoah, Warren | Edinburg | aah-edinburg@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-984-5600 |
Arlington, Fairfax | Fairfax | aah-fairfax@vdot.virginia.gov | 703-259-2357 |
Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Prince Edward | Farmville | aah-farmville@vdot.virginia.gov | 434-505-3424 |
Greensville, Isle of Wright, Southampton, Sussex | Franklin | aah-franklin@vdot.virginia.gov | 757-346-3072 |
Caroline, Spotsylvania, Stafford | Fredericksburg | aah-fredericksburg@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-899-4300 |
Halifax, Pittsylvania | Halifax | aah-halifax@vdot.virginia.gov | 434-476-6342 |
Page, Rockingham, Augusta | Harrisonburg | aah-harrisonburg@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-434-2586 |
Buchanan, Russell, Tazewell | Lebanon | aah-lebanon@vdot.virginia.gov | 276-889-7600 |
Alleghany, Bath, Highland | Lexington | aah-lexington@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-463-3108 |
Loudoun | Loudoun | aah-loudoun@vdot.virginia.gov | 703-737-2000 |
Fluvanna, Louisa, Orange | Louisa | aah-louisa@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-967-3710 |
Henry, Patrick, Carroll | Martinsville | aah-martinsville@vdot.virginia.gov | 276-629-2581 |
Hampton | Norfolk | aah-norfolk@vdot.virginia.gov | |
King George, Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland | Northern Neck | aah-northernneck@vdot.virginia.gov | 804-333-3696 |
Dinwiddie, Nottoway, Prince George | Petersburg | aah-petersburg@vdot.virginia.gov | 804-863-4000 |
Prince William | Prince William | aah-princewilliam@vdot.virginia.gov | 703-366-1924 |
Botetourt, Craig, Roanoke | Salem | aah-salem@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-387-5488 |
Essex, Gloucester, King and Queen, King William ,Mathews, Middlesex | Saluda | aah-saluda@vdot.virginia.gov | 804-758-2321 |
Brunswick, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg | Southhill | aah-southhill@vdot.virginia.gov | 434-774-2300 |
Culpeper, Fauquier, Rappahannock | Warrenton | aah-warrenton@vdot.virginia.gov | 540-347-6441 |
James City, Surry, York | Williamsburg | aah-williamsburg@vdot.virginia.gov | 757-253-5138 |
Dickenson, Lee, Scott, Wise | Wise | aah-wise@vdot.virginia.gov | 276-328-9331 |
Bland, Grayson, Wythe | Wytheville | aah-wytheville@vdot.virginia.gov | 276-228-2153 |
Visit the adoption section to learn more. We recommend first reviewing the Terms & Conditions and Safety Guidelines to get familiar with what participation in Adopt-A-Highway entails. Next you will submit your application by email to the local Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator for your county.
Once you have submitted the application and VDOT approves you, you will receive a permit for 3-years. Your coordinator will explain how to obtain safety vests, “crew working” signs, orange trash bags, and important safety training. After two documented pickups, VDOT will install your group’s Adopt-A-Highway sign recognizing your group’s adoption.
This map shows you which highway segments are already adopted and which are available for adoption through VDOT. You can choose a route that is convenient to your home or workplace or one that you notice has a problem with litter accumulation. We recommend visiting the highway segment during the day and time that you anticipate collecting litter to verify that you feel comfortable with the traffic level, speed, and shoulders. Your local Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator will work with VDOT staff to ensure a route is safe prior to approving your application.
If you are unsure of a highway segment to choose, contact your local Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator; they maintain a list of recommended highway segments based on VDOT assessment.
In most cases, we ask you adopt a minimum of two miles. Volunteers are responsible for cleaning the roadside on each side of the adopted section. However, volunteers are asked to refrain from collecting litter from any medians, if present, to ensure your safety.
There's no cost to volunteers, who provide a great service to VDOT and the commonwealth.
As many as it takes. We recommend you have enough so pickups are manageable. We do have volunteers who make solo adoptions and are comfortable working their area by themselves.
That depends on traffic volume, road location, group size and pickup frequency.
Most say pickups are not taxing. But if you’re an individual who's adopted a highly traveled road to a landfill, you may have your work cut out for you.
The local Adopt-a-Highway coordinator can help determine the condition of the road before you adopt.
With your name on an Adopt-a-Highway sign, you’ll be recognized as community members who takes action.
You’ll receive VDOT’s full support in achieving clean roadsides. We'll supply bags, vests and a friendly ear at our local office.
You’ll be part of a top-notch environmental effort, joining tens of thousands of other Virginians in a program that's been nationally recognized for "superior progress in the prevention and collection of litter."
Children are allowed to participate in highway adoptions and cleanups. However, there are very specific rules and procedures the group must follow for safety.
The group's contact person must inform VDOT if anyone under age 18 will participate in any of the group's pickups.
No one under 18 may participate in interstate or interchange cleanups. Groups must provide at least one adult supervisor for every six children under 18.
Set a date and time convenient for all participants. Be sure the pickup is in daylight hours. Avoid rush hour.
Gather the group before passing out safety vests and orange bags. Check to see that everyone has gloves and closed-toe shoes.
Take a few minutes to review basic safety issues.
You should then be ready to start bagging trash.
You may dispose of the collected trash yourself if you are able to.
If you cannot dispose of the trash, you may leave the bags on the roadside in one or two places. When you submit your pickup report form, indicate that you left bags and leave a detailed comment as to where they were left, ideally noting the closest mile marker or intersection. This is crucial to notify VDOT to send crews to collect the bags.
As part of your Adopt-A-Highway permit agreement, each group must a select primary contact person. This person should ensure that they, or another person in the group, submits the Pickup Report form as soon as possible after completing the pickups. This allows VDOT to keep your permit in good standing, and to monitor the collective impact of Adopt-A-Highway volunteers’ litter removal across Virginia.
Participants agree to clean their adopted stretch of highway at least two times a year for three years.
Some volunteers do pickups more frequently. If you conduct pickups at regular intervals, you can estimate how often they need to be done to keep your section of road clean.
Yes. "In Memory Of …" adoptions are permitted.
No. Signs are intended to recognize you or your group, not your message. Space is limited to 48 characters.
Yes. However, business names on signs need to be the actual business name, with no additional advertising.
For example: "B.J. Smith, A Tree-Cutting Service" wouldn’t be allowed if "A Tree-Cutting Service" wasn’t part of the business name.
Unless it's the name of your business, websites aren't permitted on signs.
Adopt-a-Highway volunteers clean more than 8,000 miles of highways annually.
Research has shown that Adopt-a-Highway roadsides are less littered than those maintained by road crews.
Children and young adults who pick up litter learn valuable lessons that can lead to life-long environmental awareness.
Seeing volunteers at work along the road often makes motorists think before carelessly discarding trash.
It started in Texas in 1985.
In Virginia, the program began in 1988 and is one of the largest programs in the country.
Today, 48 states and Puerto Rico have instituted Adopt-a-Highway programs, along with Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain. That's put one million volunteers to work along the road.
It has sparked many related programs, including Adopt-a-Spot, Adopt-a-Street and Adopt-a-Stream.
Last updated: March 22, 2024