El Dorado County, CA Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code Section 9.56.030
- Rule
- Syringe exchange programs are unlawful and a nuisance
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 5189, December 12, 2023
- Enforcement
- Administrative fine, misdemeanor, or both
- Repeat violations
- Each day of operation is a new violation
Summary
El Dorado County outlaws syringe exchange programs entirely in the unincorporated county, declaring in Section 9.56.030 that creating, operating or even participating in one is unlawful and a public nuisance. The Board of Supervisors adopted the ban by Ordinance No. 5189 in December 2023 to keep improperly discarded needles out of waterways and neighborhoods.
Sec. 9.56.030. - Public nuisance. It shall be unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to create, establish, operate, conduct, or participate in a syringe exchange program within the unincorporated areas of the County of El Dorado. (Ord. No. 5189, § 2, 12-12-2023)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
020 defines the targeted activity broadly as "any and all needle and syringe exchange or distribution programs or projects whereby hypodermic needles and/or syringes are exchanged or dispensed such that persons participating in and/or operating such programs are exempted from criminal prosecution for acts related to the possession of needles and/or syringes," reaching both organized clinics and informal distribution efforts. 24, with each day of continued operation charged as a separate offense. 050 adds a savings clause providing the chapter is to be read consistent with State and federal law and will not apply to the extent a court finds it in conflict with either.
Violations & Fines
Operating, establishing or participating in a syringe exchange program in the unincorporated county exposes a person to an administrative fine issued under the Chapter 9.02 procedure, a misdemeanor prosecution under Chapter 1.24, or both, since Section 9.56.040 makes the penalties cumulative. Each day the program continues counts as a separate offense, so an ongoing distribution effort can generate a new violation daily until it stops.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does El Dorado County allow any needle exchange programs?
What counts as a syringe exchange program under the ban?
How is the syringe exchange ban enforced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
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