Bonner County, ID Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Bonner County Revised Code § 7-401
- Offense class
- Misdemeanor under § 7-420
- Maximum fine
- $300
- Maximum jail term
- six (6) months
- Cleanup cost
- County can remove waste and charge the responsible person
- Appeal window
- Ten (10) days for an informal board hearing
Summary
In unincorporated Bonner County, Idaho, Revised Code § 7-401 makes it a violation to dispose of or abandon solid waste anywhere except a county approved disposal site, or outside the bulk containers at a collection site. Under § 7-420 a violation is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $300 and up to six months in jail.
A. It shall be a violation of this title to dispose of or abandon solid waste other than in compliance with this title, or with the signs posted at collection site locations. ... C. It shall be a violation of this title for any person to dispose of or abandon solid waste at a location other than at a county approved solid waste disposal site, or to dispose of solid waste at county solid waste collection sites outside of the bulk containers provided.
Full Breakdown
Section 7-401 of the Bonner County Revised Code defines the dumping violations in unincorporated Bonner County, Idaho. Subsection A makes it a violation to dispose of or abandon solid waste other than in compliance with Title 7 or with the signs posted at collection site locations. Subsection B prohibits commercial enterprises, their owners or agents from using the county operated bulk containerized sites. Subsection C covers the classic dumping case: disposing of or abandoning solid waste at a location other than a county approved solid waste disposal site, or disposing of solid waste at county collection sites outside of the bulk containers provided.
Subsection D adds that using the system without paying the established charges is a violation. Section 7-100 defines an approved disposal site as any county operated dumpster station, any landfill site operated by Bonner County, and any privately operated landfill site approved by the Panhandle health district and the Idaho department of health and welfare. Section 7-240(A) requires all solid waste and refuse to go to a location approved by the Panhandle health district and designated by the county. Enforcement runs through § 7-410. The county can remove solid waste disposed of in violation and charge the responsible person for the service provided.
The Bonner County prosecuting attorney can commence civil or criminal actions, or both, as the Board of County Commissioners directs. The county can also bring a civil action to abate or enjoin a violation and to collect money due, together with reasonable legal fees and court costs.
Violations & Fines
Section 7-420 makes any person in violation of Title 7 guilty of a misdemeanor, subject to a fine of not more than $300 and imprisonment for a term not to exceed six months, or both. Cleanup cost recovery under § 7-410(A) comes on top of that, and civil abatement under § 7-410(C) can add legal fees and court costs. Section 7-411 gives an aggrieved person ten days to request an informal hearing before the Board of County Commissioners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in unincorporated Bonner County?
What is the penalty for dumping?
Who enforces the dumping rules?
Can I contest a county dumping charge or fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bonner County
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