Garland, TX Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 32.65
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 per offense (§ 10.05(A))
- Standard Code fine cap
- $500 for most other violations
- Continuing offense
- Each day counts as a new offense
- Vehicle litter covered
- Items thrown or falling from vehicles included
Summary
Throwing or dumping refuse on public or private property in Garland is a criminal offense under Code of Ordinances Section 32.65, and the City's general penalty section makes dumping refuse one of the few violations punishable by the maximum $2,000 fine rather than the standard $500 cap most Code violations carry.
Section 32.65. Litter; throwing prohibited. (A) No person shall throw, leave, or deposit refuse or rubbish in or on a public or private place. (B) It is especially provided that this prohibition and proscription shall include items thrown, blown, or falling from motor vehicles. This provision shall not be interpreted as a limitation on the general prohibition contained herein. ... Section 10.05(A) General penalty for violations of ordinances. Whenever in this Code or in any ordinance of the City an act is prohibited... unless the offense is otherwise expressly punishable by the imposition of a civil or administrative penalty, the violation of any such provision of this Code or any such ordinance shall be punished by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000.00) for any ordinance that governs fire safety, zoning, or public health and sanitation, including dumping of refuse; provided, however, that the penalty for any other violation of an ordinance shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4862189; v40 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
65 of the Code of Ordinances prohibits any person from throwing, leaving, or depositing refuse or rubbish in or on a public or private place, and the section specifically reaches litter thrown, blown, or falling from a moving vehicle, a category it says should not be read to narrow the general throwing ban. 66 clarifies that placing garbage or trash in a proper collection container is not a violation, so long as the container keeps the contents from scattering in the wind, rain, or from animals.
05(A): most Code violations cap out at a $500 fine, but the Council specifically carved out fire safety, zoning, and public health and sanitation violations, expressly including the dumping of refuse, for a fine of up to $2,000 per offense. 05(F) requires the City to prove the dumping was done intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence once the fine sought exceeds $500. 60 puts abutting property owners and occupants jointly responsible for nuisances, including illegally dumped material, on the street or alley frontage next to their land, up to the center line of that right-of-way.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping is fined up to $2,000 per offense under Section 10.05(A)'s public-health-and-sanitation category, well above the $500 cap on most Code violations, and every additional day the dumped material remains counts as a new offense under Section 10.05(B). A culpable mental state, intent, knowledge, recklessness, or criminal negligence, is required once the fine sought tops $500.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fine for illegal dumping in Garland?
Does it count as dumping if trash falls out of my truck?
Am I responsible for dumped trash on the street next to my house?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Garland
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle illegal dumping.