Pasco County, FL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- Roads, waterways, and private property
- Vehicle dumping
- Driver and owner both liable
- Burden of proof
- Shifts to the accused dumper
- Max civil fine
- $500 per violation
- Also applies
- State Litter Law, F.S. § 403.413
Summary
Pasco County outlaws dumping litter of any kind on public roads, in waterways, or on private property without the owner's consent. If litter is thrown from a moving vehicle, the driver and owner are both automatically in violation, and the accused bears the burden of proving they had authority to dump.
Dumping litter prohibited. Unless otherwise authorized by law or permit, it is unlawful for any person to dump litter in any manner or amount: In or on any public highway, road, street, alley, or thoroughfare, including any portion of the right-of-way thereof, or any other public lands, except in containers or areas lawfully provided therefore. When any litter is thrown or discarded from a motor vehicle, the operator or owner of the motor vehicle, or both, shall be deemed in violation of this section; In or on any freshwater lake, river, canal, or stream or tidal or coastal water of the county... or In or on any private property, unless prior consent of the owner has been given and unless such litter will not cause a public nuisance or be in violation of any other state or local law, rule, or regulation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 94 Update 1 | Land Development Code: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
Code of Ordinances Sec. 90-1 makes it unlawful to dump litter, defined broadly to include garbage, rubbish, waste, trash, debris, tires, appliances, construction material, yard waste, and recyclable material, in three settings: on any public highway, road, street, alley, or thoroughfare including the right-of-way, on any freshwater lake, river, canal, stream, or tidal or coastal water of the county, or on private property without the owner's prior consent and where the dumping causes a public nuisance or otherwise violates law. When litter is thrown or discarded from a moving vehicle, both the vehicle's operator and its owner are deemed in violation; the same rule applies to litter dumped from a vessel, making both the vessel's operator and owner liable.
In a trial for violating this section, the county does not have to prove the defendant lacked authority to dump or that the dumping caused a nuisance; instead, the defendant carries the burden of proving they had authority and that no nuisance resulted. 413 can apply in parallel. This local ordinance replaced a narrower 1970s Code provision that only addressed dumping on rights-of-way and public property; the 2003 rewrite (Ord. No. 03-31) broadened it to cover private property and waterways as well.
Violations & Fines
Dumping litter in violation of Sec. 90-1 is a Code violation enforced under Sec. 1-11, which authorizes a citation carrying a civil penalty of up to $500 per violation plus costs, with each day or instance treated as a separate offense, or prosecution as a misdemeanor with up to 60 days in the county jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump trash on vacant land in unincorporated Pasco County?
Who is responsible if trash blows out of a moving truck onto the road?
Do I have to prove I had permission to dump material on private land?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasco County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pasco County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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