Henry County, GA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Fine range
- $200.00 to $1,200.00 per conviction
- Cleanup cost
- Reimbursed to county if removed
- Right-of-way sanitation fee
- $50.00 first item, $50.00/load after
- Enforcement
- Zoning administrator, chief building inspector
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Henry County
Summary
Henry County bans dumping litter on any public or private property or in county waters unless it goes to a designated disposal site, a receptacle, or is done with the property owner's consent. Convictions carry fines from $200 to $1,200 plus mandatory reimbursement of cleanup costs.
It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to dump, deposit, throw or leave or to cause or permit the dumping, depositing, placing, throwing, or leaving of litter on any public or private property or in any waters in Henry County unless: (1) The property is designated by the state or by any of its agencies or political subdivisions for the disposal of such litter, and such person is authorized by the proper public authority to use such property. (2) The litter is placed into a receptacle or container installed on such property; or, (3) The person is the owner or tenant in lawful possession of such property or has first obtained consent of the owner or tenant in lawful possession... By a fine of not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) and not more than one thousand two hundred dollars ($1,200.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 3-16-42(c) makes it unlawful to dump, deposit, throw or leave litter on public or private property or in any waters in Henry County unless the property is a state-designated disposal site the person is authorized to use, the litter goes into an installed receptacle, or the person is the owner, tenant, or has the owner's consent. Subsection (d) separately bars operating a vehicle with an unsecured load that can drop or shift material onto the roadway, and subsection (e) requires construction site operators to control discarded building materials, concrete washout, chemicals and sanitary waste that could harm water quality.
The section applies countywide in the unincorporated areas under subsection (a)(2). Evidence rules in (f)(2) create a prima facie case against a vehicle operator when litter is thrown from a moving vehicle, boat, airplane or other conveyance, and a rebuttable presumption of guilt when dumped litter contains mail or documents bearing a person's name. Sec. 3-16-43 assigns enforcement to the zoning administrator, chief building inspector, or their designees, while Sec. 00 and up to 60 days in the Henry County Detention Facility, and Sec. 3-16-45 makes each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 3-16-42(f)(3) sets fines of not less than $200.00 and not more than $1,200.00 for a littering conviction, plus a required reimbursement to Henry County for the reasonable cost of removing the litter when the county removes it. A judge may also order the violator to pick up and remove litter from up to one mile of public right-of-way or, with the owner's permission, from private property, and may publish the names of persons convicted. Sec. 3-16-46 layers on a separate sanitation fee of $50.00 for the first item removed from a right-of-way and $50.00 per additional pickup-truck load, due within 30 days, with 1 percent monthly interest on late payments and a civil penalty of up to $500.00 for nonpayment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fine for illegal dumping in Henry County?
Can Henry County make me clean up litter someone else dumped?
Does an unsecured truck load count as illegal dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Henry County
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