Garden Grove, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Litter control section
- § 6.40.050(C)
- First infraction fine
- Up to $250
- Second infraction fine
- Up to $500
- Repeat infractions
- Up to $1,000 each
- Misdemeanor max
- $1,000 fine or 6 months jail
- Nuisance authority
- Govt. Code § 38771 abatement/lien
Summary
Garden Grove's Stormwater Quality chapter bans dumping any waste, including household rubbish or garbage, on public property such as streets, sidewalks, alleys, or storm drain inlets. Violations escalate from a $250 first-offense infraction fine to a misdemeanor carrying up to $1,000 or six months in jail.
C. Litter control. No person shall discard any waste material, including but not limited to common household rubbish or garbage of any kind (whether generated or accumulated at a residence, business, or other location), upon any public property, whether occupied, open, or vacant, including but not limited to any street, sidewalk, alley, right-of-way, open area, or point of entry to the stormwater drainage system. ... Infractions. Any person who may otherwise be charged with a misdemeanor under this chapter may be charged, at the discretion of the enforcing attorney, with an infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $250.00 for a first violation, $500.00 for a second violation, and a fine not exceeding $1,000.00 for each additional violation occurring within one year.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4903654; v10 updated 2026-05-12).
Full Breakdown
40, Stormwater Quality, bars discarding any waste material, expressly including common household rubbish or garbage generated at a residence, business, or other location, on public property whether occupied, open, or vacant, including streets, sidewalks, alleys, rights-of-way, open areas, or any point of entry to the stormwater drainage system. The chapter treats dumping as part of the city's Clean Water Act compliance program, so enforcement runs through the same machinery used for illicit stormwater discharges. 070 lets an authorized inspector issue a notice of noncompliance, an administrative compliance order, or a cease and desist order, each appealable to a hearing officer within specified deadlines.
5. On the criminal side, the enforcing attorney can charge a violation as an infraction, punishable by a $250 fine for a first offense, $500 for a second, and up to $1,000 for each additional violation within a year, or pursue it as a misdemeanor. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
A first illegal-dumping infraction under Section 6.40.070(C) carries a fine of up to $250, rising to $500 for a second violation and up to $1,000 for each additional violation within one year. The enforcing attorney can instead charge a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 in fines, up to six months in jail, or both. Each day the dumped material remains is a separate violation, and the City can recover cleanup and enforcement costs as a lien against the responsible party's property.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping household trash on a Garden Grove street illegal?
How much is the fine for a first dumping violation?
Can the City make me pay to clean up dumped waste?
Could illegal dumping be charged as more than an infraction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garden Grove
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle illegal dumping.