San Diego County, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 68.503
- Scope
- Streets, parks, public and private property
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
- Property owner duty
- Must remove dumped material once aware
- Enforcement
- Public Works, Planning, Environmental Health, Parks, Ag
Summary
Dumping, placing, or burying discarded materials on streets, parks, or public or private property in unincorporated San Diego County is a public nuisance and unlawful under County Code § 68.503, unless deposited in a designated collection container.
It shall be unlawful and is a public nuisance for a person to place, deposit, or bury, or employ another person to place, deposit, or bury, any discarded materials as defined in section 68.502, on the right of way of any street or highway, any park or campgrounds, or on any public or private property, unless the property is a solid waste facility regulated under the California Public Resources Code, or the property contains a collector-provided container, CRMC-provided, or generator-provided container that is designated for temporarily depositing discarded materials prior to collection by collector or CRMC or prior to self-hauling and the discarded materials are properly deposited in such container. It shall also be unlawful and a public nuisance for the owner or occupier of private property who knows that discarded materials have been unlawfully placed, deposited, or buried on property they own or occupy to allow the discarded materials to remain on that property.
(b) The Directors of the Departments of Public Works, Planning and Development Services, Environmental Health and Quality, Parks and Recreation, and Agriculture, Weights and Measures shall have enforcement authority to enforce this section, within their areas of responsibility. (Amended by Ord. No. 7920 (N.S.), effective 7-11-91; amended by Ord. No. 8866 (N.S.), effective 1-6-98; amended by Ord. No. 9495 (N.S.), effective 9-13-02; amended by Ord. No. 9666 (N.S.), effective 8-14-04; amended by Ord. No. 10036
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-141: Administrative: Current through Ord. No. 11007 (N.S.), effective 7-10-26 | Regulatory: Current through Ord. No. 11008 (N.S.), effective 7-24-26).
Full Breakdown
County Code Section 68.503 makes it unlawful and a public nuisance to place, deposit, or bury discarded materials, including trash and bulky debris, on any street right-of-way, park, campground, or public or private property in unincorporated San Diego County, unless it goes into a container designated for collection. Property owners who know dumped material sits on their land and let it remain are equally liable. The Departments of Public Works, Planning and Development Services, Environmental Health and Quality, Parks and Recreation, and Agriculture, Weights and Measures each enforce the section within their jurisdiction.
Violations & Fines
Violating Section 68.503 is a misdemeanor under Section 11.116, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in County Jail; each day the dumped material remains counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on the roadside illegal in unincorporated San Diego County?
Can a property owner be cited for someone else's dumped trash?
What's the penalty for illegal dumping in the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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