Monterey, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

City Code § 14-3(2) prohibits placing, keeping or depositing any solid waste or other items for collection on any street, alley, sidewalk, public way, or public or private property or premises, unless it sits in a suitable container for collection, with a narrow carve-out for items set out on specially designated collection dates established by the franchisee. Enforcement runs through § 14-8: the City Enforcement Official, who may be the City Manager or a designee, or a regional or county agency enforcement official working with the City, issues a notice of violation naming the respondent, describing the violation and the specific section broken, and setting a compliance date and the penalty for missing it, with a maximum 60-day compliance window.

If the respondent does not comply by that date, the City commences an action to impose penalties through an administrative citation and fine under the citation procedures in Chapter 1, Article 2, Division 1. The City can also pursue other remedies allowed by law, including civil actions or injunctions in California courts, and may choose to delay court action until enough violations, or a large enough cumulative volume, make court action a reasonable use of City resources. 03, and the City may extend a compliance deadline for genuine extenuating circumstances such as earthquakes, wildfires or permit delays.