Monterey County, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- MCC § 10.41.040(A), (D)
- First-violation fine
- Up to $2,500
- Second-violation fine (12 mo.)
- Up to $5,000
- Third+ violation fine (12 mo.)
- Up to $10,000
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Monterey County only
- Added by
- Ord. No. 5412, 2-27-2024
Summary
Dumping refuse anywhere except a permitted disposal facility is banned in unincorporated Monterey County under Monterey County Code § 10.41.040(A). A County Enforcement Official can issue an escalating administrative civil citation: up to $2,500 for a first violation, up to $5,000 for a second within twelve months, and up to $10,000 for a third or later violation.
A.A person shall not throw or deposit, or cause to be thrown or deposited, any refuse upon any premises whatsoever except at a permitted disposal facility. ... D.Violations. The Enforcement Official may issue an administrative citation for the violation of this Section as a civil penalty as follows:1.The first violation shall be punishable by a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00).2.The second violation during a twelve (12) month period shall be punishable by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000.00).3.The third, and any subsequent, violation during a twelve (12) month period shall be punishable by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000.00).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
Section 10.41.040 sits in Chapter 10.41, whose definitions confine the ordinance to the unincorporated area of the County (§ 10.41.010(D)); dumping inside Salinas, Monterey, Seaside, Marina, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove or King City is governed by each city's own code instead. Subsection A bars throwing or depositing refuse on any premises whatsoever except a permitted disposal facility, and Subsection B closes a related loophole by making it unlawful to transport refuse in a container that has been used for burning. Subsection C flags that state law also reaches illegal dumping along public highways through Penal Code § 374 et seq.
The teeth of the section are in Subsection D, added by Ord. No. 5412 in 2024: a County Enforcement Official (defined broadly at § 10.41.010(G) as any County officer, employee, or agent charged with enforcement) can issue an administrative citation as a civil penalty rather than pursuing criminal charges, with fines tiered by how many violations occur within a rolling twelve-month period. Because the citation is civil, it can be issued and collected without a criminal conviction, though other remedies, including misdemeanor prosecution under the County Code's general provisions, remain available for the same conduct.
Violations & Fines
Fines escalate with repeat conduct: up to $2,500 for a first violation of § 10.41.040, up to $5,000 for a second violation within twelve months, and up to $10,000 for a third or any subsequent violation in that same twelve-month window. These are administrative civil penalties issued directly by a County Enforcement Official, separate from the County Code's general default misdemeanor penalty, and dumping refuse on public highways can also trigger separate liability under Penal Code § 374 et seq.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in unincorporated Monterey County?
How much can I be fined for illegal dumping?
Who issues the citation for illegal dumping?
Does this fine schedule apply inside Salinas or Monterey city limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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