Newark, OH Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 660.03, Newark Code of Ordinances
- Intent required
- None: applies regardless of intent
- Offense level
- Misdemeanor of the third degree
- Court remedy
- Order to remove litter from public or private property or State waters
- Solid waste in water
- § 1860.05(b); first-offense fine up to $250
- Enforcers
- Police, sheriff, deputies, county nuisance inspectors
Summary
In the City of Newark, Ohio, § 660.03 prohibits depositing litter on any public property, on private property the person does not own, or in or on waters of the State, regardless of intent. A violation is a misdemeanor of the third degree, and the court can order the offender to remove the litter from public or private property or from the water.
(a) No person, regardless of intent, shall deposit litter or cause litter to be deposited on any public property, on private property not owned by him or her, or in or on waters of the State, unless one of the following applies: ... (3) “Litter” means garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, automobile parts, furniture, glass, auxiliary containers, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature. ... (f) Whoever violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. The sentencing court may, in addition to or in lieu of the penalty provided in this division, require a person who violates this section to remove litter from any public or private property or in or on waters of the State.
Full Breakdown
Section 660.03 is the provision of the Newark Code of Ordinances closest to an illegal dumping ban. It is a strict rule: subsection (a) applies regardless of intent. The definition in subsection (d) is broad. Litter includes garbage, trash, waste, rubbish, ashes, cans, bottles, wire, paper, cartons, boxes, automobile parts, furniture, glass, auxiliary containers, or anything else of an unsightly or unsanitary nature.
Subsection (a) lists three exceptions. The person is directed to deposit the litter by a public official as part of a litter collection drive; the person deposits it in a litter receptacle in a manner that prevents its being carried away by the elements; or the person is issued a permit or license covering the litter under Ohio R.C. Chapter 3734 or 6111. Subsection (b) separately bars knowingly depositing litter in a litter receptacle on public property, or on private property not owned by the person, unless the litter was generated on that property, a public official or a person with privilege directed it, or it consists of items such as the contents of a litter bag or ash tray of a type customarily carried in a motor vehicle. Under subsection (c), public property includes private property open to the public for business, a service, or a fee.
Subsection (e) lets any sheriff, deputy sheriff, municipal police officer, township officer, or other law enforcement officer enforce the section within that officer's jurisdiction, and the list includes an inspector of nuisances of a county.
Dumping solid waste is addressed again in Chapter 1860. Section 1860.05(b) bars anyone from discharging, depositing, dumping, or placing solid waste into or on any ground or surface water as its final disposition, unless the water is part of a properly authorized sanitary landfill or solid waste transfer station. Section 1860.05(a) bars disposing of solid waste by open burning except as authorized by the state Director of Environmental Protection.
Violations & Fines
A § 660.03 violation is a misdemeanor of the third degree, with § 698.02 caps of 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. The court can also order the offender to remove litter from public or private property or from waters of the State. Under § 1860.99(d), dumping solid waste into ground or surface water in violation of § 1860.05(b) starts at a fourth-degree misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $250 and rises to a first-degree misdemeanor with a fine of not more than $1,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a person have to intend to litter to be cited in Newark, Ohio?
Can the court order a cleanup instead of or along with a penalty?
Does Newark's litter definition cover furniture and car parts?
Who can enforce the littering section?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newark
Compare Newark to another location·View the Ohio trash & recycling overview
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