Bulloch County, GA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Bulloch County Code §§ 8-59, 8-116
- Where dumping is legal
- Approved landfill, transfer station, or county site
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine and/or 60 days jail (§ 1-11)
- Evidence rule
- Owner's name on debris presumes responsibility
- Extra court power
- Judge may order litter clean-up, publish name
Summary
Dumping litter or waste anywhere in unincorporated Bulloch County outside an approved landfill, transfer station or county collection site is unlawful under Code §§ 8-59 and 8-116, unless you own the property, have the owner's consent, or use a designated litter receptacle. Violators face the county's general penalty of up to $1,000.00 and 60 days in jail under § 1-11.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to dump, deposit, throw or leave or to cause or permit the dumping, depositing, placing, throwing or leaving of litter on any public or private property in the unincorporated areas of the county or any waters in the unincorporated areas of the county, unless:(1)The property is designated by the state or by the county for the disposal of litter and the person is authorized by the proper public authority to use such property;(2)The litter is placed into a litter receptacle or container installed on such property; or ... It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to dump, or to cause to be dumped, any waste anywhere in the unincorporated area of the county, except at an approved landfill or transfer station, or at a collection site operated by the county.
Full Breakdown
Bulloch County Code § 8-59(a) makes it unlawful to dump, deposit, throw or leave litter, or cause someone else to, on any public or private property or waters in the unincorporated county, unless the property is a state- or county-designated disposal site the person is authorized to use, the litter goes into an installed litter receptacle, or the person is the property's owner or tenant, or has that owner's consent. Section 8-116 adds a second, broader prohibition: dumping any waste anywhere in the unincorporated area other than an approved landfill, transfer station or a county-operated collection site is unlawful outright.
Section 8-59 gives judges added tools beyond a fine: a convicted defendant can be ordered to personally pick up litter from public beaches, parks, rights-of-way or, with the owner's permission, private property, and the court may publish the names of people convicted under the section. Loads that spill from a moving vehicle, boat, airplane or other conveyance create a rebuttable presumption that the operator violated the section, and finding a person's name on dumped mail or paperwork creates the same presumption against that person under § 8-59(d).
Section 8-117 extends that identification presumption to waste dumped in violation of § 8-116: if the dumped material can be traced to an owner, that traceability is treated as prima facie evidence the owner is responsible.
Violations & Fines
Both sections carry the county's general penalty under § 1-11: a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, with each day a violation continues a separate offense. A § 8-59 conviction can also bring a court order to personally clean up litter from public property, and the judge may publish the offender's name; anyone whose name is found on dumped material faces a legal presumption of responsibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I legally dump waste in unincorporated Bulloch County?
How does the county prove who dumped illegally?
What can a judge order besides a fine for illegal dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bulloch County
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