Berkeley, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Core dumping ban
- BMC § 12.40.080
- Unauthorized disposal site ban
- BMC § 12.32.070
- Covers
- Streets, parks, creeks, ponds, lakes
- Removal notice period
- 7 days after posting
- Cost recovery
- Lien on property, billed with taxes
- Violation class
- Infraction, Ch. 1.20
Summary
Dumping trash, litter or debris on Berkeley streets, parks or into creeks and other waterways is unlawful under BMC § 12.40.080, and dumping at an unapproved disposal site is separately banned under § 12.32.070. Both are enforced as infractions, with the City able to bill or lien the property for illegal accumulations it must remove.
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to throw or deposit, or to cause or to permit to be thrown or deposited, any dirt, paper, filth, sweepings, ashes, manure, garbage, filthy water, offal, straw, wood, stones, earth, grass, tree trimmings, garden trimmings, glass bottles, glass, nails, tacks, hoops, wire, cans, refuse matter or rubbish of any kind whatever, upon any avenue, street, way, lane, alley, court, park, playground, wharf or other public place, or into any fountain, pond, lake, stream, creek or any other body of water in the City of Berkeley.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 8031-NS, passed July 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
080 makes it unlawful to throw or deposit dirt, paper, filth, ashes, garbage, tree trimmings, glass, cans or any other rubbish of any kind on any avenue, street, way, lane, alley, court, park, playground or wharf, or into any fountain, pond, lake, stream or creek in the City of Berkeley. This covers both public rights-of-way and the City's waterways, a distinct concern in a city crossed by Strawberry Creek and other urban creeks. 070 prohibits depositing garbage, rubbish or other waste at any disposal site or dump that the City has not approved, closing off the option of using an unapproved lot or vacant parcel as an informal dump.
020, except that an owner may allow grass cuttings, garden trimmings, stones or wood to be left on their own land with written permission. 060 and bill the cost as a lien on the property, collected the same way as delinquent property taxes. Illegal dumping investigations in Berkeley are typically referred to the Public Works Department's Zero Waste division and Code Enforcement, and enforcement can proceed under either the litter chapter or the general waste-storage chapter depending on where the material was found.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 12.40, including the illegal-dumping prohibition in § 12.40.080, is an infraction under § 12.40.130, prosecuted through Chapter 1.20's citation process. Dumping at an unauthorized site under § 12.32.070 is likewise an infraction under § 12.32.110. Where the City has to remove dumped debris itself after a posted notice goes unanswered, § 12.40.060 turns the City's removal cost into a lien against the property, collectible along with the owner's property tax bill, and if work is done after September 1st of a given year the charge rolls onto the following year's tax bill instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash in a Berkeley creek a separate violation from street littering?
What happens if I dump yard debris on a neighbor's vacant lot?
Who enforces illegal dumping complaints in Berkeley?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berkeley
California rules heatmap·Compare Berkeley to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle illegal dumping.