Dougherty County, GA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Anti-tampering rule
- Only owner may move or empty dumpster
- Roll-off landfill fee
- $95 per load, no scale
- Scaled loads
- $25 per ton, municipal solid waste
- Siting/screening rule
- None printed in this chapter
- Tampering fine
- $100 to $1,000
Summary
Only the owner of a commercial dumpster in unincorporated Dougherty County may disturb it, remove its contents, or relocate it before collection; anyone else who interferes is violating the county's solid waste rules. Haulers bringing roll-on/roll-off containers to the county landfill without truck scales available pay a flat ninety-five-dollar disposal charge per load.
(2)Where truck scales not available. Should truck scales not be available, the following rates shall apply: Semitrailers, garbage packers, stake bodies or vans, roll-on roll-off containers, dump trucks with tandem axle and special handling waste requiring immediate disposal . .$95.00 ... No person other than the owner thereof, shall disturb or interfere with any container or dumpster used for the purpose of storing refuse pending its collection, or remove any contents therefrom or remove such container from its location.
Full Breakdown
" That anti-scavenging rule is what governs commercial dumpsters directly in the county code; Dougherty County does not print a separate placement, screening, or setback standard for roll-off or dumpster siting in this chapter. The landfill fee schedule in Section 2-14-29(b)(2) sets charges for vehicles delivering waste when truck scales are not available, and lists "semitrailers, garbage packers, stake bodies or vans, roll-on roll-off containers, dump trucks with tandem axle and special handling waste requiring immediate disposal" at ninety-five dollars per load, a materially higher flat rate than the forty-six dollars charged for single-axle trucks over 20,000 pounds or the fifteen dollars charged for pickup trucks and standard dumpster loads.
Where scales are available, Section 2-14-29(b)(1) instead charges by weight, twenty-five dollars per ton for municipal solid waste. The chapter's definitions section, 2-14-44(b), defines "dumpster" generically as "a bulk container used for the collection of garbage, refuse, trash and litter," not tied to any manufacturer. Enforcement of the anti-tampering rule runs through Section 2-14-54's citation authority and the penalty schedule at Section 2-14-57.
Violations & Fines
Disturbing, emptying, or moving someone else's dumpster before collection violates Section 2-14-51 and is punishable under Section 2-14-57 by a fine of one hundred to one thousand dollars, with each incident a separate offense. A hauler that misrepresents its vehicle class to avoid the ninety-five-dollar roll-on/roll-off landfill charge under Section 2-14-29(b)(2) is liable for the correct disposal fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone else empty or move my business dumpster before pickup day?
What does it cost to bring a roll-off dumpster to the county landfill?
Does the county regulate where a commercial dumpster can be placed on a property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dougherty County
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