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Cecil County, MD Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)

Light Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
Cecil County Code § 318-8(B)
Accepting site
Cecil County Central Landfill only
Cost
Free of charge
Hours
7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Mon-Sat (§ 318-4)
Related ban
Infectious waste barred from regular trash (§ 318-2)

Summary

Cecil County takes household sharps for free. Under Code § 318-8(B), the Cecil County Central Landfill accepts needles, syringes and lancets from residents during normal operating hours for proper disposal; the county's code sets no needle-exchange or harm-reduction siting rule.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Cecil County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Sharps disposal. The Cecil County Central Landfill accepts from residents sharps such as needles, syringes, and lancets during normal operating hours, free of charge, for proper disposal.

View official code

Full Breakdown

, Monday through Saturday, closed on the ten official county holidays listed in § 318-4(D). The sharps program sits alongside the household hazardous waste program in § 318-8(A), under which the landfill and the Woodlawn and Stemmer's Run Transfer Stations also take vegetable oil, motor oil, antifreeze, fluorescent lamps and lead-acid, household and rechargeable batteries, and SWMD periodically runs Household Hazardous Waste Day events for materials that cannot legally go out with municipal solid waste. Only the Central Landfill is named for sharps; the code text does not extend that acceptance to the transfer stations. Chapter 318 does not create or site any needle-exchange or syringe-services program, so there is no county harm-reduction siting rule to report.

Violations & Fines

Chapter 318 does not fine residents for using the free sharps program. It does bar "infectious/pathological waste" from ordinary disposal as an unacceptable waste under § 318-2 unless the Department of Public Works approves otherwise, so loose needles placed in regular household trash or dropped off outside the dedicated sharps program can get a load turned away and leave the person delivering it responsible for cleanup costs under § 318-9(O).

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I dispose of used needles and syringes in Cecil County?
At the Cecil County Central Landfill on Route 7 in Elkton. Section 318-8(B) has the landfill accept sharps such as needles, syringes and lancets from residents free of charge during its normal operating hours; the code does not extend that acceptance to the Woodlawn or Stemmer's Run Transfer Stations.
Is there a fee to drop off sharps?
No. Section 318-8(B) states the Central Landfill accepts sharps from residents free of charge, for proper disposal, separate from the tipping fees charged for ordinary household waste, and it is open for that purpose 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Can I throw needles in my regular trash can?
No. Loose sharps fall under the infectious/pathological waste category the code lists as unacceptable waste in § 318-2 unless Public Works approves otherwise, so they belong in the dedicated free sharps program at the Central Landfill instead of the regular waste stream.
Does Cecil County run a needle exchange program?
The Code of Cecil County chapter governing solid waste and recycling does not establish or site a needle-exchange or syringe-services program; § 318-8(B) covers only free disposal of used sharps at the Central Landfill, not distribution of new supplies.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Cecil County

Parking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsRodent ControlSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Snow Removal Parking RulesFew RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Abandoned VehiclesSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Exotic PetsHeavy RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Pet Store RulesSome Restrictions

All Cecil County rules

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