Davis, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Section 30.02.090
- Where banned
- Streets, storm drains, public/private land
- Criminal penalty
- Up to $1,000 and/or 6 months jail
- Nuisance remedy
- City abatement + property lien
- Yard waste exception
- Section 32.01.090 program only
Summary
Davis bans dumping refuse, garbage, or other discarded material anywhere it could reach the storm drain system, streets, or public and private land, under its stormwater discharge control chapter. A knowing violation is a misdemeanor carrying up to a thousand-dollar fine and six months in jail.
Except for pollutants lawfully disposed of in containers, or yard refuse properly disposed of as provided in Section 32.01.090 of the city's municipal code, no person shall throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, placed, left, maintained or kept, any refuse, rubbish, garbage, or other discarded or abandoned objects, articles, and accumulations, in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, storm drain, inlet, catch basin, conduit or other drainage structures, business place, or upon any public or private lot of land in the city, such that the same may be or may become a pollutant discharged to the waters of the United States or of the state. ... Any person who knowingly or wilfully violates any provision of this chapter, or the orders, rules, regulations and permits issued hereunder, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by six months imprisonment, or both.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
090 of the Davis Municipal Code bans throwing, depositing, leaving, or keeping refuse, rubbish, garbage, or other discarded or abandoned objects in streets, alleys, sidewalks, storm drains, inlets, catch basins, business places, or any public or private lot in the city, whenever the material may become a pollutant discharged to state or federal waters. 090. 080 separately declares that anyone who knowingly causes or allows a dumping condition that violates the chapter has created a public nuisance, and if the responsible person does not abate it, the city can abate the nuisance itself at that person's expense and record the abatement cost as a lien against the property.
030 applies: the director can order a stop-work order or suspend related permits, and the city can seek civil penalties up to five thousand dollars per day or ten dollars per gallon for dumping that reaches the storm drain system as a discharge, in addition to the criminal misdemeanor exposure below.
Violations & Fines
A knowing or willful violation of the dumping ban is a misdemeanor under Section 30.06.030(e), punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars, up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. Unabated dumping also exposes the responsible party to a property lien for the city's cleanup costs under Section 30.02.080.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in Davis?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping in Davis?
Can the city bill me for cleaning up dumped material?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Yolo County handle illegal dumping.