Bessemer, AL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited zone
- Streets, thoroughfares, and within 20 yards of one
- Driver presumption
- Driver presumed offender if dumped from a vehicle
- Cumulative law
- Also subject to state littering law, Ala. Code 13A-7-29
- Default penalty
- Up to $500 fine or six months, Sec. 1-8
Summary
Dumping refuse, litter, or debris on a Bessemer street, public thoroughfare, or within 20 yards of one is unlawful under Code of Ordinances section 90-2. If the dumping comes from a vehicle, the driver is presumed the offender under section 90-3, and violators face the Code's general penalty.
No person shall dump, deposit, place, throw or leave refuse, paper, litter, rubbish, debris, filthy or odoriferous objects, substances or other trash upon a street or public thoroughfare of the city or the right-of-way therefor, or within 20 yards of a street or other public thoroughfare in the city. ... If an offense described above is committed from a motor vehicle, the driver of the vehicle shall be presumed to be the offender.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Republication).
Full Breakdown
Section 90-2 makes it unlawful to dump, deposit, place, throw, or leave refuse, paper, litter, rubbish, debris, or any filthy or odoriferous object or substance on a city street or public thoroughfare, on its right-of-way, or within 20 yards of one. Section 90-3 adds an evidentiary shortcut for enforcement: if the dumping happens from a motor vehicle, the driver of that vehicle is presumed to be the offender, which lets police cite the driver without proving exactly who physically threw the material. Section 90-4 makes clear these two sections are cumulative to, and do not replace, any other state or city law addressing dumping or littering on public highways and streets, so a violator can also be charged under the state littering statute, Code of Alabama 1975 section 13A-7-29, referenced directly in the Code.
00, imprisonment or hard labor for up to six months, or both, with each day a dumping violation continuing treated as a separate offense. The rule applies citywide to any street, public thoroughfare, or the 20-yard buffer around one, regardless of whether the material came from a resident, a business, or a passing vehicle.
Violations & Fines
Dumping refuse, litter, debris, or any filthy or odoriferous matter on a Bessemer street, thoroughfare, right-of-way, or within 20 yards of one violates section 90-2; the vehicle's driver is presumed responsible if the dumping is done from a car or truck under section 90-3. Chapter 90 sets no special fine, so the general penalty in section 1-8 applies: up to $500.00, up to six months, or both, and the state littering statute can apply as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on a Bessemer street illegal even off the roadway itself?
If trash is thrown from a moving car, who gets cited?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping in Bessemer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bessemer
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle illegal dumping.