Dublin, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- DMC § 7.74.130(A), Littering
- Covered locations
- Streets, storm drains, public/private lots
- Lawful exception
- Established garbage containers/dump sites
- Penalty class
- Misdemeanor or infraction
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Adopting ordinance
- Ord. 7-24
Summary
Dublin, California bans throwing or depositing refuse, rubbish, garbage or other discarded objects on any street, alley, sidewalk, storm drain, catch basin, or public or private lot, punishable as a misdemeanor or infraction under the city's stormwater ordinance.
A. Littering.
1. No person shall throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, placed, left or maintained, 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 structure, business place, or upon any public or private lot of land in the city, so that the same might be or become a pollutant or waste discharge, except in lawfully established garbage containers or in lawfully established dumping grounds.
2. No person shall throw or deposit litter in any fountain, pond, lake, creek, or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the city.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2-26, passed March 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
130(A), the Littering provision of the Stormwater Management and Discharge Control chapter, prohibits any person from throwing, depositing, leaving, maintaining, keeping, or permitting to be thrown, deposited, placed, left or maintained 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 structure, business place, or any public or private lot in the city, if doing so might create a pollutant or waste discharge; the only exceptions are lawfully established garbage containers or lawfully established dumping grounds.
Subsection (A)(2) separately bars throwing or depositing litter into any fountain, pond, lake, creek, or other body of water in a park or elsewhere in the city. The same section requires businesses fronting a paved sidewalk to keep it free of dirt and litter to the maximum extent practicable, and bars sweeping debris into the gutter, roadway, or MS4. 64, with the cost becoming a lien on the property. This regulatory scheme was adopted under Ordinance 7-24, amending the older stormwater chapter originally enacted by Ordinance 9-92.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping under Section 7.74.130 is a misdemeanor under Section 7.74.210, chargeable as an infraction at the city's discretion, with fines and jail time capped at the limits in California Government Code Sections 36900 and 36901; a third infraction for the same conduct within twelve months can be escalated to a misdemeanor. Each day the dumped material remains is a separate continuing offense under Section 7.74.230, and the city can additionally abate the nuisance and lien the property for its costs under Section 7.74.260.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on a Dublin, CA street or vacant lot illegal?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping in Dublin?
Can Dublin make me clean up dumped material on my property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dublin
California rules heatmap·Compare Dublin to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle illegal dumping.