Lexington, KY Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

070 offense that covers illegal dumping of waste, as a civil violation the urban county can pursue on its own, in addition to any criminal prosecution the Commonwealth might bring under the same statute. 070 citation, must have reasonable cause based on personal observation or investigation before issuing a civil citation; the officer has discretion to issue a warning or notice of violation instead if the person immediately remedies the violation. Proceedings to determine whether a littering violation occurred go before the environmental hearing board or its assigned hearing officer, following the enforcement and appeals procedure in Chapter 2B.

The civil fine schedule escalates with repeat conduct: $100 for a first violation, $250 for a second, and $500 for a third or any subsequent violation, all within a rolling twenty-four-month window, a violation more than twenty-four months after the last one resets to first-offense treatment. The urban county government can pursue every civil fine, fee, and enforcement cost through the remedies in section 2B-9, including placing a lien on the violator's property or filing a civil action, and collected fines are earmarked for the divisions and agencies that enforce the littering ordinance.