Gaston County, NC Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Sec. 7-3(o), (r), (s)
- Bans
- open dumping, littering, roadside yard waste
- First offense
- $500 civil penalty
- Repeat offense
- $1,000 civil penalty, no notice
- Alternate remedy
- misdemeanor under Sec. 7-15
- Adopted
- Res. No. 2003-353, amended 2017/2021
Summary
Gaston County bans open dumping, littering, and roadside yard-waste dumping under three separate clauses of its solid waste ordinance. Sec. 7-3(o), (r), and (s) each outlaw a different form of illegal disposal, and a first offense draws a written warning plus a $500 civil penalty.
(o)Open dumping of solid waste is prohibited.(r)Throwing, littering, scattering, spilling, placing, dumping, depositing or causing or allowing the same of any solid waste, garbage or refuse upon any property, which is inconsistent with solid waste management or other disposal practices, is prohibited.(s)No person shall place, discard, dispose, leave, or dump any yard waste upon any street, highway, median strip, alley, or other public places of travel located within the ordinance making jurisdiction of Gaston County, unless such yard waste is placed in a designated location or container for removal by a specific garbage or trash service collector, or unless such yard waste is deposited in an approved landfill site.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 58 | Unified Development Ordinance: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Gaston County's solid waste ordinance treats illegal dumping as three distinct violations rather than one broad ban. Sec. 7-3(o) prohibits open dumping of solid waste outright. Sec. 7-3(r) separately bans throwing, littering, scattering, spilling, placing, dumping, or depositing solid waste, garbage, or refuse on any property in a way inconsistent with the chapter's disposal rules, a broader catch-all aimed at dumping that doesn't fit the narrower 'open dumping' language. Sec. 7-3(s) targets roadside yard waste specifically, barring anyone from placing, discarding, or dumping yard waste on a street, highway, median strip, alley, or other public place of travel unless it is set out in a designated container for a garbage service or hauled to an approved landfill.
All three clauses sit inside the same storage-and-disposal section that Res. No. 2017-254 and Res. No. 2021-016 amended to add a dedicated escalating penalty structure, separate from Chapter 7's general misdemeanor clause in Sec. 7-15, which still applies as an alternative remedy: a misdemeanor punishable under Sec. 1-8, with a civil penalty up to $500 and $50/$100 first- and second-violation amounts payable directly to the tax collector without a board hearing.
Violations & Fines
A first illegal-dumping violation of Sec. 7-3(o), (r), or (s) draws a written warning and 24 hours to remove it; if it isn't cleared, the county removes it and bills the owner the actual cost plus a $500 civil penalty, collectible as back taxes if unpaid. A repeat violation on the same property is removed without notice and carries a $1,000 civil penalty. Gaston County may instead pursue the chapter's general misdemeanor charge under Sec. 7-15.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between open dumping and littering under this ordinance?
Can I leave bagged yard waste at the curb for pickup?
What does a first illegal dumping violation cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gaston County
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