Fort Lauderdale, FL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum cleanup charge
- $240.00 for up to 10 cubic yards
- Compliance window after notice
- 48 hours to remove accumulation
- Repeat violation
- No grace period required
- Enforcement sections
- Secs. 18-2 and 24-2
- State law cross-reference
- F.S. § 403.413 Litter Law
Summary
Dumping solid waste on streets, beaches, waterways, city property or someone else's private land without consent is unlawful under Code sec. 24-7. Unremoved accumulations that threaten public health draw a 48-hour compliance notice, and repeat violators lose that grace period entirely.
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, sweep, scatter, throw, dump, or pile, except temporarily for pickup and disposal purposes, solid waste of any kind ... in or upon: (1)Any road, street, parkway, sidewalk, beach of the Atlantic Ocean, beach or bank of any river, stream, watercourse or pool ...(3)Any private property not owned by the person within the city limits without the consent of the owner ... Failure of any person to remove such accumulations within forty-eight (48) hours after having been instructed to do so by the city shall constitute a violation of this chapter ... Charges for such service shall be a minimum of two hundred forty dollars ($240.00) for removal of up to ten (10) cubic yards. ... If a repeat violation of this section is found, the city shall notify the violator but is not required to give the violator a reasonable time to correct the violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67 Update 1 | Unified Land Development Code: Supplement 58 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 24-7(a) makes it unlawful to place, sweep, scatter, throw, dump or pile solid waste, or let an animal deposit waste, on any road, street, sidewalk, the Atlantic Ocean beach, or the bank of any river, stream, watercourse or pool within city limits; on city-owned property outside an approved program; or on private property belonging to someone else without that owner's consent. Subsection (b) separately bars letting solid waste accumulate anywhere in the city to the point it becomes a public nuisance, endangers health, safety or welfare, or hurts adjacent property values.
A person who fails to remove such an accumulation within 48 hours of being instructed by the city violates the chapter and is punishable under sections 18-2 and 24-2. 00 for removal of up to ten cubic yards, with additional billing for material needing extra collection or disposal cost. Subsection (d) strips repeat violators of the standard reasonable-time-to-correct grace period: the city need only notify them before pursuing legal action, which proceeds under chapter 18 and Florida Statutes chapter 162. 520.
Violations & Fines
A first violation for illegal dumping or an unlawful accumulation is punishable under sections 18-2 and 24-2 once 48 hours pass after city notice without cleanup; each additional day the violation continues counts as a separate offense. If the city has to clean up an unremoved pile, the property owner or abutting account holder is billed a minimum of $240.00 for up to ten cubic yards, plus extra for material that costs more to collect or dispose of. Repeat violators get no additional correction period before the city proceeds under chapter 18 and F.S. ch. 162.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on a Fort Lauderdale street or waterway illegal?
What happens if I do not clean up a dumped pile after the city notifies me?
Does Fort Lauderdale go easier on repeat illegal dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fort Lauderdale
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Fort Lauderdale to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle illegal dumping.