Pinellas County, FL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Coverage area
- Unincorporated Pinellas County only
- Prohibited
- Bans dumping garbage, refuse, junk, debris
- Penalty
- Fine up to $500
- Continuing violation
- Each day = separate offense
Summary
Unincorporated Pinellas County bans dumping or leaving garbage, refuse, rubbish, junk or debris on any property, improved or vacant, with fines up to $500 and each day counted as a separate offense.
No person shall dump or cause to be dumped, or place or cause to be placed, or leave or permit to accumulate any garbage, refuse, rubbish, junk, debris, or similar noxious material of any kind or cause or permit the untended growth or excessive accumulation of weeds or other plant material on any property situate in the unincorporated area of the county, whether improved or unimproved.
(Ord. No. 84-33, § 2, 11-20-84; Ord. No. 04-51, § 2, 7-27-04)
Secs. 58-305—58-325. - Reserved.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 58-304, in Chapter 58's litter and weeds article, prohibits dumping, placing, or leaving to accumulate any garbage, refuse, rubbish, junk, debris or similar noxious material on any property in unincorporated Pinellas County, whether the land is improved or vacant, regardless of ownership. The rule applies only outside the county's incorporated cities, which enforce their own codes. Violations are punished under the Code's general penalty provision, Sec. 1-8, with continuing violations treated as a new offense every day the dumped material remains.
Violations & Fines
Violators face a fine up to $500 under Sec. 1-8; because the dumping is a continuing violation, each day the material remains counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on vacant land illegal in unincorporated Pinellas County?
What's the fine for illegal dumping in unincorporated Pinellas County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pinellas County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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