Arlington, TX Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibition
- Dumping/accumulating refuse is unlawful
- Vehicle-spillage fine
- Up to $500 per day
- Unclean-premises fine
- Up to $2,000 per day
- Each day
- A separate offense
- Report to
- Code Compliance 817-459-6777
Summary
Dumping trash where it doesn't belong is illegal in Arlington. Spilling or dropping waste from a vehicle onto a street or another person's property without consent is a misdemeanor fined up to $500 a day; letting refuse and garbage accumulate on a lot brings fines up to $2,000 a day.
Any person violating Sections 2.02(A), Graffiti; ... 2.03(K), Vehicle Spillage; 2.03(L), Miscellaneous Conditions; or 2.03(M), Noise; of Article II of this chapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and each day the violation continues shall be a separate offense. Each such offense shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($500.00). ... Any person violating any section of Article II ... other than those enumerated in Section 3.02(A) hereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor ... punishable by a fine not to exceed Two Thousand Dollars and No Cents ($2,000.00) as allowed by law.
Full Breakdown
Arlington's Nuisance Chapter makes it unlawful to commit or maintain any declared nuisance (Sec. 3.01). Section 2.03(K), Vehicle Spillage, bars "causing any items to be dropped or fall from a vehicle upon any street, alley, or other public way or upon the private property of any person without his effective consent." Section 2.02(B) declares premises with accumulations of litter, refuse, garbage, rubbish, or junk an "Unclean Premises" nuisance. Code Compliance enforces. Litter and vehicle-spillage offenses draw fines up to $500 per day (Sec. 3.02(A)); unclean-premises accumulations up to $2,000 per day (Sec. 3.02(B)). Each day the violation continues is a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Dumping or spilling refuse from a vehicle onto public ways or another's property without consent, and letting garbage, rubbish, or junk pile up on a lot. Each day the material remains is a separate misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is illegal dumping a crime in Arlington?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Arlington to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle illegal dumping.