Merced County, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. 2055, effective 2/3/2026
- First violation fine
- $2,500
- Second violation fine
- $5,000 within 1 year
- Third+ violation fine
- $10,000 within 1 year
- Enforcing official
- Director, Dept. of Public Works
- Vehicle impoundment
- Up to 30 days for repeat offenders
Summary
Dumping discarded materials anywhere but an approved container or a permitted resource management facility is unlawful in unincorporated Merced County under Code Section 9.16.020, and the county's 2026 illegal dumping ordinance backs that ban with administrative fines that escalate from $2,500 to $10,000 and vehicle impoundment for repeat offenders.
§ 9.16.020. Dumping at unauthorized sites prohibited. Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, no person shall deposit or discharge, or caused to be deposited or discharged, any discarded materials in any place other than an approved discarded materials container or at a permitted resource management facility, in accordance with this chapter. ... § 9.16.060(B). Administrative penalties assessed for each illegal dumping violation, or repeated violation, are as follows: 1. First violation: $2,500; 2. Second violation within a one-year period: $5,000; 3. Third or subsequent violation within a one-year period: $10,000.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4930839; v8 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
16, rewritten by Ordinance 2055 effective February 3, 2026, defines 'discarded materials' broadly to include garbage, construction debris, furniture, appliances, electronic waste, and green waste. 020 prohibits depositing or discharging discarded materials anywhere except an approved container or a permitted resource management facility such as a landfill, transfer station, or recycling center. 030 separately makes it unlawful to fail to maintain a continuous subscription for regular collection through a county-authorized service provider, to use an unauthorized hauler, to place materials in someone else's container without permission, or to dump along a right-of-way, public grounds, campsite, or watercourse.
060, assesses administrative penalties of $2,500 for a first violation, $5,000 for a second violation within a year, and $10,000 for a third or subsequent violation within that year. Investigators can rely on a rebuttable presumption of responsibility from finding at least two pieces of addressed mail in the dumped material or from surveillance footage showing the person or their registered vehicle dumping. 3(h) when the driver is arrested and has a prior conviction for the same offense within the past three years, with notice to the vehicle's legal and registered owners within two working days.
Violations & Fines
First-time illegal dumping draws a $2,500 administrative penalty, rising to $5,000 for a second violation within a year and $10,000 for a third or later violation within that year under Section 9.16.060. Courts can also order restitution for cleanup costs, and Section 9.16.070 authorizes up to 30 days of vehicle impoundment for a repeat offender caught dumping under Penal Code Section 374.3(h).
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in unincorporated Merced County?
How much is the fine for illegal dumping in Merced County?
Can the county prove I dumped trash just from what's inside it?
Can my car be impounded for illegal dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced County
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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