Chico, CA Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Sharps container required
- immediately after first use
- No trash/sink/toilet disposal
- unlawful, any receptacle
- Exchange program buffer
- 600 feet from schools, parks
- Exchange program hours
- 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. only
- Penalty class
- misdemeanor or infraction
Summary
Chico requires every used sharp to go straight into a sharps container after first use, bans tossing needles in household trash, and makes improper disposal a misdemeanor.
A. Each syringe or sharps used in any way for the injection of a substance into the body shall be disposed of and secured in a sharps container immediately after its first use. ... D. It shall be unlawful for any participant or person to discard or otherwise dispose of any used sharps or syringe in any garbage receptacle, recycling receptacle, sink, toilet, or any other bin or receptacle that is not specifically designed for disposal of used sharps and syringes.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Supplement contains local legislation current through: Codified Resolution No. 53-26, adopted 7-14-26 and Ordinance No. 2622, adopted 6-2-26).
Full Breakdown
Under Chico Municipal Code Chapter 9.29, any syringe or sharp used to inject a substance must be secured in a sharps container immediately after its first use, and disposal must comply with California Health and Safety Code § 118275 et seq. It is unlawful to leave a used sharp where it could contact another person, or to discard one in a garbage can, recycling bin, sink, or toilet. The chapter also regulates syringe exchange programs operating in Chico: a program must hold California Department of Public Health approval, cannot operate within 600 feet of a school, day care, playground, park, youth center, or library, must supply a sharps container with every syringe issued, and may run only between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 9.29 is a public nuisance abatable by all available means, and is separately punishable as a misdemeanor or infraction; each needle or syringe involved is a distinct violation, enforceable by city attorney criminal filing or administrative citation under Chapter 1.15.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I throw a used needle in my household trash in Chico?
How close to a school can a syringe exchange program operate in Chico?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chico
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