Tangipahoa Parish, LA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Parish Code section 38-1 bars throwing, dropping, discarding or otherwise disposing of litter on any public place, private property, or the parish's waters, whether from a vehicle, boat or otherwise, except into the parish landfill or a litter receptacle. Section 38-4 escalates the criminal penalty for intentional littering, which covers illegal dumping, based on prior convictions. 00 fine and eight hours of community service in a litter abatement work program approved by the court. 00 and doubles the community service to 16 hours. 00 fine, suspension of the offender's driver's license for one year, up to 30 days imprisonment, and 80 hours of community service, with the court able to impose any combination of those penalties.

If dumped material contains mail, bills or other writings identifying an owner, section 38-4 creates an inference that the named person committed the violation, shifting the practical burden onto the accused to explain the item's presence. A justice of the peace with jurisdiction where the dumping occurred handles these prosecutions concurrently under section 38-3, and the parish reimburses that court 50 percent of collected fines for handling the case. 00 in special court costs split between the justice of the peace and constable's office, treating each dumping occurrence as its own violation.