Monroe County, FL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Ban
- Dumping anywhere but the disposal facility
- Max fine
- $500.00 per misdemeanor conviction
- Max jail
- 60 days
- Alternate track
- Code compliance special magistrate
- Evidence rule
- Mail/receipts create dumping presumption
Summary
Dumping solid waste anywhere but the county's disposal facility is banned outright under Monroe County Code § 21-76, and waste traced back to a non-subscribing property by mail or receipts found in it is presumed to have come from that property. Violators face misdemeanor prosecution under § 21-77, with fines up to $500.00, up to 60 days in jail, or both.
(a)With the exception of construction and demolition debris, no person shall place, deposit or dispose of any solid waste, other than at the solid waste disposal facility. If any solid waste is found on public or private property or roadways and its origin is traced to improved property by identification such as mail, statements, checks, receipts, etc., and such occupant or owner of such property is not receiving collection service by a collector, it shall be presumed that such solid waste was generated from that improved property. ... (a)Violation of this section may be prosecuted in the same manner as misdemeanors are prosecuted. Such violations shall be prosecuted in the name of the state in a court having jurisdiction of misdemeanors by the prosecuting attorney thereof, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $500.00 or by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed 60 days or by both such fine and imprisonment.
Full Breakdown
Section 21-76(a) of the Monroe County Code prohibits placing, depositing or disposing of any solid waste anywhere except the county's solid waste disposal facility, with a narrow exception for construction and demolition debris handled under the separate license scheme in § 21-75. The section also creates an evidentiary shortcut for code enforcement: if dumped waste is traced to a specific improved property through mail, statements, checks or receipts found in it, and that property's owner or occupant is not subscribed to collection service, the law presumes the waste came from that property.
Subsection (b) separately bans temporarily storing solid waste anywhere in the county in a manner that lets wind or water carry it onto public property or a neighbor's land, and subsection (e) makes it unlawful to scatter or spread waste that a collector or specialty hauler has already set out for removal. Subsection (f) bars maintaining an unsanitary nuisance, defined in § 21-46 to include untreated human waste, dead animals, and conditions that breed flies, mosquitoes, or rodents. 00, imprisonment in the county jail for up to 60 days, or both. ch. 162 and chapter 8 of the county code, and all remedies are cumulative rather than exclusive.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping is prosecuted as a misdemeanor in county court under § 21-77(a): conviction carries a fine of up to $500.00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both. The county can instead, or in addition, bring the case before the code compliance special magistrate under F.S. ch. 162 and county code chapter 8, and § 21-77(c) makes all these remedies cumulative and nonexclusive.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in Monroe County?
How does the county prove who dumped the waste?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping?
Can I be cited even if I didn't personally dump the waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.