Berkeley County, SC Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned materials
- Refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, pet waste
- Covered locations
- Public/private property, streets, storm drains
- Yard debris exception
- Right-of-way only, never in drains
- Max civil fine
- $1,000 per violation, per day
- Enforcement start
- Written Notice of Violation
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 14-11-36, Nov. 24, 2014
Summary
Berkeley County flatly bans dumping refuse, litter or pet waste on public or private property, in the street, or into any part of the storm drain system. Violators face a civil fine of up to $1,000 per day under the stormwater article's enforcement division, plus possible work stoppages or permit holds.
No person shall throw, deposit, leave, maintain, keep, or permit to be thrown, deposited, left, or maintained, in or upon any public or private property, driveway, parking area, street, alley, sidewalk, component of the storm drain system, or waters of the state, any refuse, rubbish, garbage, litter, pet fecal matter, or other discarded or abandoned objects, articles, and accumulations, so that the same may cause or contribute to pollution. Yard debris, including natural foliage, may be deposited in the public right-of-way but not in or on any stormwater conveyance structures, including inlets and gutters, but only if a collection service is available.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).
Full Breakdown
" The section carves out one narrow allowance: yard debris such as natural foliage can go in the public right-of-way, but never into a storm drain, inlet, or gutter, and only where a collection service actually exists; without collection service, no yard debris or waste can be left in the street at all. Because section 65-1033 is written into the stormwater article, it is enforced through that article's Division 6 tools rather than a separate litter chapter. Section 65-1051 lets the county engineer issue a written Notice of Violation identifying the dumping, the correction deadline, and the reinspection date, then follow up with a stop-work order, permit revocation, withheld certificate of occupancy, or referral to the county attorney for injunctive relief if the site isn't cleaned up.
The same enforcement division authorizes the county to pursue any other legal or equitable remedy the General Assembly has given local governments, cumulatively with the fine.
Violations & Fines
Dumping refuse, litter, or pet waste onto property, streets, or storm drains under section 65-1033 draws the article's standard civil penalty in section 65-1052: a fine of "not more than $1,000.00 for each violation," with every additional day of uncleaned dumping counted as a new, separate violation and billed through a uniform summons. The county engineer can also hold up permits or a certificate of occupancy, or ask the county attorney to seek an injunction, until the site is cleared.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on someone else's land illegal in Berkeley County?
Can I put yard waste out for pickup in Berkeley County?
What's the fine for illegal dumping in unincorporated Berkeley County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berkeley County
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