Chattanooga, TN Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- Dumping on vacant lots/streets
- Prohibited
- Dumping in streams/waterways
- Fine
- $10-$50 per Sec. 18-8
- Exception
- Permit required for fill material
- Enforcement
- City Director of Public Works
Summary
Dumping rubbish, trash, or waste on Chattanooga vacant lots, streets, alleys, or in any stream or body of water is a misdemeanor citywide, punishable by a $10-$50 fine per Sec. 18-6 and Sec. 18-8.
It shall be unlawful for any person to throw or deposit or to cause to be thrown or deposited, any rubbish or waste matter, except bricks, brick bats, cement, plaster, stones, gravel and cinders (and these only under permit from the city) in or upon any vacant lot or in any backyard, or on or upon any street or other public place in the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 40 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 18-6(a) bars throwing or depositing rubbish or waste matter on any vacant lot, backyard, street, or public place in the city, with narrow permit exceptions for bricks, stone, and similar fill material. A companion clause bans dumping trash, garbage, or industrial waste into or near any stream or body of water within city limits. Burning refuse in the street or at the city landfill without the Director's permission is separately prohibited. Anyone convicted faces the chapter's standard misdemeanor fine under Sec. 18-8: not less than $10 nor more than $50, with each violation charged separately.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping is a misdemeanor under Sec. 18-8, fined $10 to $50 per violation; burning dumped refuse without the Director's permission is a separate offense under Sec. 18-6(d).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump trash on a vacant lot in Chattanooga?
Can I dump yard debris into a creek in Chattanooga?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chattanooga
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