Huntsville, AL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Huntsville City Code § 22-36
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 6 months jail
- Applies to
- Public and private property citywide
- Waste disposal
- Only ADEM-permitted facilities allowed
- Continuing violations
- Each day counts as separate offense
Summary
Dumping litter, debris, or waste on public property or someone else's property in Huntsville is a misdemeanor under City Code § 22-36, punishable by up to a $500 fine and six months in city jail.
It shall be unlawful for any person to throw, dump, place, leave or deposit litter, refuse, paper, rubbish, debris, brush, tree removal debris, boxes, tools, scrap iron, machinery, construction or demolition waste, scrap or waste material, or other trash or debris on public property, including, but not limited to, a city right-of-way, road or other public thoroughfare, or on private property within the city, irrespective of whether such private property is owned by such person.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 22-36 makes it unlawful to throw, dump, place, leave, or deposit litter, refuse, debris, brush, construction or demolition waste, scrap iron, or other trash on public property -- including city rights-of-way and roads -- or on private property anywhere in the city, regardless of who owns it. The section also separately bans dumping solid waste at any site other than an ADEM-permitted disposal facility. Because § 22-36 isn't on the Code's short list of offenses with escalating first/second/third-conviction fines, it falls under the general penalty in § 1-7: up to $500 and/or up to six months in jail, with each continuing violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Up to a $500 fine, up to six months in city jail, or both under Code § 1-7's general penalty; each day a dumping violation continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on my own property illegal in Huntsville?
What's the penalty for illegal dumping in Huntsville?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
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