Brevard County, FL Public Health Rules: Syringe Disposal (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Brevard County Code § 94-197(a)(6)
- Household trash disposal
- Prohibited for needles and lancets
- Lawful disposal method
- County home-user sharps collection sites
- Public/private dumping
- Banned outright under § 94-197(c)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Brevard only
Summary
Brevard County bans household disposal of hypodermic needles and lancets in trash containers or waste facilities; residents must use county-designated home-user sharps collection sites in an approved sharps container for pickup by a licensed biomedical waste transporter.
(6)Hypodermic needles and lancets and other like devices used in the self injection or injection by others for the treatment or control of an illness, such as diabetes or allergies. Except that these items may be delivered separately by residents to the county's designated home-user sharps collection sites in appropriate sharps containers for proper removal and disposal by a licensed biomedical waste transporter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Under Brevard County Code § 94-197(a)(6), hypodermic needles, lancets and similar self-injection devices are barred from solid waste receptacles, commercial containers and collection points countywide: the same ban that covers hazardous waste and improperly treated biomedical waste. The code carves out one lawful path: residents may bring used sharps, packed in an approved sharps container, to the county's designated home-user sharps collection sites for pickup and disposal by a licensed biomedical waste transporter. Section 94-197(c) separately bans dumping sharps on any public or private property outright, with no household exception. This applies in unincorporated Brevard; Cocoa, Titusville, Melbourne, Palm Bay and the other cities set their own rules under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Brevard County Code § 1-7 sets the general penalty: a fine up to $500, up to 60 days in county jail, or both, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put used needles in my regular trash in Brevard County?
Does this rule apply inside Cocoa or Titusville?
What happens if I dump sharps illegally in Brevard County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brevard County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Brevard County to another location·View the Florida public health rules overview
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