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Yolo County, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Prohibited act
Dumping litter on public or private land
Coverage area
Unincorporated Yolo County only
Farm exception
Bury own refuse 800+ ft from homes
Enforcing agency
County Health Officer; Sheriff assists
Maximum penalty
$500 fine or 6 months jail
Continuing violation
Each day is a separate offense

Summary

Yolo County Code Sec. 6-7.02 bans placing, depositing, or dumping litter on any public or private property in the unincorporated area, with a narrow carve-out for farms burying their own agricultural refuse well away from homes. The county's Health Officer enforces the ban, backed by the general misdemeanor penalty in Sec. 1-2.01.

City-specific rules exist: West Sacramento has its own illegal dumping rules that differ from Yolo County's county-level regulations. If you live in West Sacramento, check the city-specific page instead.

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit, or dump any litter or allow any accumulation of litter to remain on any public or private property within the unincorporated area of the County except as set forth in this section. (b) An occupant of property which is devoted entirely to commercial agricultural purposes, including the feeding and raising of livestock for dairying or poultry raising, may dispose on such property of his own refuse from operations conducted on such property by burying the refuse at least 800 feet from the nearest building used for human habitation, but such occupant may not permit any other person or agency to use his property for the disposal of refuse unless the property is declared a disposal area by the Board.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Supplement 2026 S-21 includes: Local legislation current through Ord. 1584, effective June 25, 2026).

Full Breakdown

01 defines "litter" broadly to include garbage, rubbish, and refuse, everything from putrescible food waste to construction and demolition debris, but excludes clean fill dirt. 02(a) makes it unlawful for anyone to place, deposit, or dump litter, or let it accumulate, on any public or private property within the unincorporated area, except as the section allows. Subsection (b) gives a narrow exception to occupants of land used entirely for commercial agriculture, including dairying or poultry raising: they may bury their own operational refuse on their own property, but only if the burial site is at least 800 feet from the nearest building used for human habitation, and they cannot let anyone else use their land for disposal unless the Board of Supervisors has formally designated it a disposal area.

Subsection (c) recognizes only the dumps the Board designated, including those maintained by the Cities of Woodland, Davis, and Winters and by the County as of November 5, 1969, as lawful disposal areas. 04 assigns primary enforcement to the County Health Officer. The Sheriff's Office is required to periodically report citations or arrests made under this chapter during normal patrol activity, and any county employee, agency member, or other government personnel who discovers a violation must report it to, and cooperate with, the Health Officer. 03, enforced the same way.

Violations & Fines

Illegal dumping is enforced through the Code's general penalty provision, Sec. 1-2.01: violating any Code requirement, including the Sec. 6-7.02 litter ban, is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine, up to six months in County Jail, or both. Each day a violation continues, such as litter left to accumulate rather than removed, counts as a separate offense, so fines can compound quickly for uncorrected dumping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it illegal to dump trash on private land in unincorporated Yolo County?
Yes. Section 6-7.02(a) bans placing, depositing, or dumping litter, or letting it accumulate, on any public or private property in the unincorporated area, regardless of who owns the land, unless the site is a Board-designated disposal area.
Can farmers dispose of their own agricultural waste on-site?
Only under narrow conditions. An occupant of land used entirely for commercial agriculture may bury their own operational refuse, but the burial site must be at least 800 feet from the nearest occupied building, and they cannot let others use the land for disposal.
Who enforces the illegal dumping ban in Yolo County?
The County Health Officer is the primary enforcement authority under Section 6-7.04. The Sheriff's Office reports citations and arrests made during patrols, and any county employee who discovers a violation must report it to the Health Officer.
What is the penalty for illegal dumping in Yolo County?
Under the general penalty section, Sec. 1-2.01, it is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine, up to six months in County Jail, or both, with each day the dumped material remains treated as a separate offense.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Yolo County

All Yolo County rules

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