Kingsport, TN Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Litter penalty floor
- Not less than $25.00 (Sec. 38-20)
- Penalty ceiling
- Set by Sec. 1-14, which prints $50.00
- Court option
- Judge can allow cleanup of state highway or city street
- Dumping ban
- Outside an authorized landfill or convenience center, any property
- Vacant-lot notice period
- 30 days after receipt before City disposal
- Vehicle presumption
- Driver presumed responsible for litter from a motor vehicle
Summary
In the City of Kingsport, Tennessee, no one can throw or deposit litter on a street, sidewalk or other public place except in public receptacles, authorized private receptacles or official city dumps, and Sec. 38-307(d) bars dumping trash or garbage on any public or private property outside an authorized landfill or convenience center. Litter violations carry a penalty of not less than $25.00, and a judge can order cleanup instead.
Any person who violates a section of this article shall be punished by a penalty of not less than $25.00 and not more than as provided in section 1-14. However, the judge in his discretion may allow an individual convicted of a violation of this article to remove the litter from a section of the state highway system or city street system in lieu of such penalty. ... No person shall throw or deposit litter in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public places such as drive-in eating establishments and mall parking areas other than in public receptacles, in authorized private receptacles for collection or in official city dumps, except as may be permitted by the director of public works. ... (d)No person shall dump or otherwise deposit outside an authorized landfill, convenience center or other authorized garbage or trash collection point, any trash or garbage of any kind or description on any private or public property, occupied or unoccupied, inside the city.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 38 attacks dumping from two directions. Article II, the Litter article, defines litter in Sec. 38-19 as garbage, refuse, rubbish and all other waste material. Sec. 38-22 bars depositing it on any street, sidewalk or other public place, including drive-in eating establishments and mall parking areas, except in public receptacles, authorized private receptacles or official city dumps, unless the director of public works permits it. The article then reaches specific spots: parks (Sec. 38-29), any fountain, pond, lake, river or stream (Sec. 38-30), occupied private property (Sec. 38-31) and vehicles (Sec. 38-25). Sec. 38-27 requires truck loads to be constructed or loaded so nothing blows onto a street and bars wheels from carrying mud, dirt or foreign matter onto a public way.
Sec. 38-26 sets a presumption: litter thrown, dumped or deposited from a motor vehicle, other than a motorbus, is prima facie evidence that the driver did it. Property owners carry a standing duty under Sec. 38-32 to keep their premises free of litter at all times.
Sec. 38-307(d), in the stormwater article, is the plain dumping ban: no person shall dump or otherwise deposit any trash or garbage of any kind outside an authorized landfill, convenience center or other authorized collection point, on private or public property, occupied or unoccupied, inside the city.
For litter on open or vacant private land, Sec. 38-35 has the city manager or a designee send the owner a certified letter. If the owner does not dispose of the litter within 30 days after receipt, or within 60 days after the notice date when the mail comes back undeliverable, the City can dispose of it and charge the owner the actual cost plus interest at six percent per annum from completion. Under Sec. 38-21, a citizen who witnessed the offense and will testify can initiate the charge.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the Litter article is punished under Sec. 38-20 by a penalty of not less than $25.00 and not more than the maximum in Sec. 1-14, which prints $50.00 where no specific amount is set. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense under Sec. 1-14(c). The judge can instead allow the convicted person to remove litter from a section of state highway or city street. Sec. 38-307(d) sits in the stormwater article, whose Sec. 38-335 sets a civil penalty of $50.00 to $5,000.00 per day for any owner in violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the penalty for dumping trash in Kingsport?
Who is responsible when litter is thrown from a car?
Where can trash lawfully go in Kingsport?
What happens when litter builds up on a vacant lot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kingsport
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