Lawrence, MA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- Depositing rubbish in streets/vacant lots
- Lawful destination
- City public dumps only
- Maximum penalty
- $300.00 per offense
- Continuing violation rule
- Each day = separate offense
- Enforcement statute
- M.G.L. c.40 §21D
Summary
Dumping wastepaper, house refuse, ashes or any other rubbish in Lawrence's streets, alleys, lanes or vacant lots is flatly prohibited unless the material goes to an actual public dump. The city's general penalty statute backs the ban with a fine of up to $300.00 per offense, with each day of an ongoing violation counted separately.
8.08.130 - Depositing rubbish, etc., in streets, vacant lots, etc. prohibited. No person shall deposit wastepaper, house refuse, ashes, store or house sweepings, or any other form of rubbish in the streets, alleys, lanes, areas or vacant lots, other than public dumps in the city.
1.16.010 - General penalty. A.Whoever violates a provision of any ordinance, whether of these ordinances or another hereafter enacted, shall be liable to a penalty of not more than $300.00 for each offense in accordance with General Laws c. 40 § 21D, or the maximum amount allowed by law...B.Each day any violation of any provision of these revised ordinances or any other such ordinance continues shall constitute a separate offense unless otherwise provided by law or ordinance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8).
Full Breakdown
16, which Title 8's health and safety chapters are expressly brought under. 40 section 21D, or the maximum amount otherwise allowed by law. 00 exposure for every day it sits there uncleared. Between the two sections, the rule for illegal dumping in Lawrence is that any rubbish, from wastepaper to house sweepings to ashes, has exactly one lawful destination outside a resident's own property: the city's public dumps. Anywhere else, streets, alleys, lanes, or a vacant lot, and the deposit itself is the violation, independent of how the material got there.
Violations & Fines
Depositing rubbish in a street, alley, lane or vacant lot instead of a public dump violates section 8.08.130 and exposes the responsible party to the general penalty of up to $300.00 per offense under section 1.16.010, enforced through the state's noncriminal citation process. Because each day of an ongoing violation is a separate offense, an uncleared dump site keeps accruing exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump trash in a vacant lot in Lawrence?
What's the fine for illegal dumping in Lawrence?
Does leaving trash in an alley count as illegal dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
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