New Rochelle, NY Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 163-3, Littering on Lots
- Penalty section
- § 163-7
- First offense
- Up to $1,000 fine or 15 days
- Repeat offense
- $500 to $5,000 fine or 15 days
- Owner duty
- Must stop accumulation on lot and curb strip
- Enforcement
- Police Dept.; City Manager may add outside enforcers
Summary
New Rochelle bans dumping garbage, ashes, rubbish, broken glass or any other refuse on vacant lots, public places or land under City Code § 163-3, and bars owners from letting it pile up on their property or the abutting sidewalk and curb strip. Violators face fines up to $5,000 and 15 days in jail under § 163-7.
No person shall throw, cast, lay or direct, suffer or permit any servant, agent or employee to throw, cast or lay any leaves, ashes, offal, garbage, dross, shells, straw, shavings, paper, filth, broken glassware, crockery, bottles or rubbish of any kind whatsoever in or upon any vacant lot, public place or parcel of land upon which any building or improvements may stand, nor shall the owner of any vacant lot or parcel of land, upon which any building or improvements may stand, permit or suffer to remain upon his property or on or along the sidewalk, street or alley adjacent to the same between the property line and the curb or middle of the alley, or the edge of the street pavement if there is no curb, any accumulation whatsoever of leaves, ashes, offal, garbage, dross, shells, straw, shavings, paper, filth, broken glassware, crockery, bottles or rubbish of any kind whatsoever.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4601407; v60 updated 2025-12-02; through 12-02-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 163-3, Littering on lots, is broad by design: no person may throw, cast, lay or direct any leaves, ashes, offal, garbage, dross, shells, straw, shavings, paper, filth, broken glassware, crockery, bottles or rubbish of any kind onto a vacant lot, public place or parcel of land, whether or not a building stands on it. The same section separately makes it the property owner's job to keep those materials from accumulating: an owner may not permit or suffer any such accumulation on the lot itself, or on the sidewalk, street or alley between the property line and the curb, or the edge of the pavement where there is no curb.
That dual structure means both the person who dumps and the owner who lets waste sit are independently exposed to enforcement. the night before collection. Section 163-7 designates the Commissioner of Police, with the City Manager's approval, as able to appoint people outside the Police Department to enforce Chapter 163's Article I, giving the City flexibility to use code enforcement officers as well as police for dumping complaints rather than relying on the Police Department alone.
Violations & Fines
Section 163-7 sets the penalty: a fine of not more than $1,000 or imprisonment for not more than 15 days, or both, for a first offense against Chapter 163's general provisions. A second or later conviction carries a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $5,000, or up to 15 days in jail, or both. The Commissioner of Police, with the City Manager's approval, may deputize non-police personnel to enforce the article.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on a vacant lot illegal in New Rochelle?
Can I be cited if someone else dumps trash on my property?
What's the fine for illegal dumping in New Rochelle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in New Rochelle
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Westchester County handle illegal dumping.