Ventura, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Home composting defined
- § 6.500.120
- Surface-drying exception
- § 6.500.190(C)
- Burial exception
- § 6.500.190(B), city sites/council waiver only
- Burning waste
- Requires fire department permit, § 6.500.190(A)
Summary
Home composting is expressly allowed in the City of Ventura. Municipal Code § 6.500.190(C) exempts homeowners from the citywide ban on dumping or spreading waste on the ground for drying, letting residents compost leaves and grass clippings on their own property without a city permit.
“Home composting” means the on-site recycling of organic materials such as leaves and grass clippings generated on residential premises. ... B. ... No person shall dump, place or bury any solid or designated waste, or any other deleterious or offensive substances; provided, however, that this section shall not apply to any land used by the city for a composting or disposal site or to any privately owned parcel wherein a specific waiver of this section is granted by resolution of the city council due to unusual or extraordinary conditions. C. No person may dump or spread solid or designated waste on the surface of the ground for drying, except for home composting.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
190 sets three separate bans on how waste is handled outside the regular collection system, and only one of them carves out home composting. Subsection (A) bars burning solid or designated waste in the city except with a fire department permit. Subsection (B) bars dumping, placing or burying solid or designated waste anywhere in the city, but that exception only covers land the city itself uses as a composting or disposal site, or a private parcel granted a specific waiver by council resolution for unusual or extraordinary conditions, meaning it does not cover an ordinary resident burying yard debris in the backyard. 520. 530(A), reinforces this by letting single-family generators manage organic waste on site instead of, or alongside, subscribing to the green-cart service.
Violations & Fines
The city has declared uncontrolled dumping and accumulation of solid waste a public nuisance matter under § 6.500.110's legislative findings. A resident who dumps or buries waste beyond the narrow home-composting exception in § 6.500.190(C), or who claims the exception for materials other than leaves, grass clippings and similar yard organics, remains subject to the general dumping prohibition and city code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost leaves and grass clippings in my backyard in Ventura?
Can I bury yard waste in my backyard instead of composting it on the surface?
Do I need a city permit for a home compost pile?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Composting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle composting.