Bozeman, MT Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Section 32.02.070 of the Bozeman Municipal Code bars outdoor dumping in the City of Bozeman. Any deposit of solid waste upon the premises or property of another without the express permission or consent of the owner or occupant is forbidden and prohibited. Any such depositing is deemed a violation of the article and, upon conviction in the municipal court, subjects the offender to the penalties provided in the article.

The penalty section is § 32.02.110. Anyone violating any provision of the article, or any rule or regulation adopted and approved under it, is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to six months in the county jail, a fine not to exceed $500.00, or both. Subsection B adds two administrative tools that are separate from, or in addition to, that criminal penalty. The director of transportation and engineering can refuse to allow the violator to use the city's landfill or transfer station, and can charge the violator any costs the city incurred in connection with the violation. If the director applies either tool, the director must adopt an appeal procedure to address the individual's concerns.

Related dumping rules sit next to it. Section 32.02.040(D) makes it unlawful to dump or place solid waste in a container belonging to another person, or upon any other premises, without the consent of the owner of the container or premises. Section 32.02.090 expressly prohibits unauthorized dumping or disposal of hazardous materials or hazardous wastes into the collection and disposal system, on any property within the city limits, or on property owned by the city, and sends the violator to the remedies and penalties in the state statutes. Section 32.02.080 bars placing highly inflammable wastes, acids or explosives, including hot ashes, in or near a receptacle.

Solid waste itself is defined in § 32.02.010. The director of transportation and engineering decides any doubt or dispute over what qualifies, and the director's decision is final and conclusive. Enforcement of the article runs through the Department of Transportation and Engineering under § 32.02.050, with prosecution in the Bozeman municipal court.