Chandler, AZ Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 11-4.3
- Offense class
- Class 1 misdemeanor
- Max fine (individual)
- $2,500 (§ 1-8.3)
- Max fine (enterprise)
- $20,000 (§ 1-8.4)
- Extra liability
- City's removal/abatement costs
Summary
Dumping rubbish, trash, filth or debris on property you don't own or control is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Chandler under City Code § 11-4.3. The violator is also personally liable for the City's costs of removing, abating, or enjoining the dumped material.
Dumping. Any person, firm or corporation that places any rubbish, trash, filth or debris upon any private or public property not owned or under the control of that person, firm or corporation is guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor and, in addition to any fine or penalty which may be imposed for a violation of this section, is liable for all costs for removing, abating or enjoining the rubbish, trash, filth or debris. Costs of such removal, abatement or injunction shall be assessed in accordance with the provisions set forth in Chapter 26.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79).
Full Breakdown
3, Dumping, targets any person, firm, or corporation that places rubbish, trash, filth, or debris upon private or public property not owned or controlled by that party. The offense is a class 1 misdemeanor, and the section stacks a second consequence on top of the criminal penalty: the violator 'is liable for all costs for removing, abating or enjoining the rubbish, trash, filth or debris,' with those costs assessed under the civil-infraction and abatement procedures set out in Chapter 26, Code Enforcement Through Civil Infraction Procedures.
That cross-reference matters because it gives the City a cost-recovery track that runs independent of, and in addition to, any court-imposed fine, the City can bill the dumper for cleanup rather than absorb it. The provision was adopted by Ord. No. 3093 in February 2000 and amended by Ord. No. 3621 in October 2004, placing it within the same Chapter 11 miscellaneous-offenses framework as curfew, graffiti, and open-container rules. 4.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping under § 11-4.3 is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable under § 1-8.3 by up to a $2,500 fine, six months' imprisonment, and three years' probation for an individual, or up to $20,000 for an enterprise under § 1-8.4. Separately, the violator owes the City's actual costs to remove, abate, or enjoin the dumped material, recoverable under the Chapter 26 civil infraction and abatement procedures.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in Chandler?
Do I only pay a fine, or does the City bill me for cleanup too?
Can a company be fined more than an individual for dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chandler
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Maricopa County handle illegal dumping.