Ocala, FL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

City Code § 34-201(b) makes it unlawful to dump litter, defined broadly in § 34-201(a)(8) to include garbage, construction debris, tires, vehicle parts, and even litter thrown, blown, or bounced from a moving vehicle, onto any public highway, street, alley, right-of-way, or other public land except in a lawfully provided container. The same prohibition covers dumping into any freshwater lake, river, canal, or stream, and dumping on private property without the owner's consent. Section 34-201(h) authorizes all law enforcement officers, plus park rangers, code enforcement officers, environmental officers, and parking enforcement officers, to issue citations.

Penalties escalate under § 34-201(k)(1): a $150.00 civil fine for a first conviction, $300.00 for a second, and $500.00 for a third and every conviction after that. Section 34-201(k)(2)a adds that a second or later conviction can also bring up to ten days in the county jail and a requirement to perform litter pickup or other community service under the Florida Litter Law, F.S. § 403.413(6)(b). Beyond the fine, § 34-201(k)(4) lets the city bill the violator for the certified cost of cleaning up the dumped material, due to the Public Works Department within 30 days, with a lien available against the violator's property if unpaid. Section 34-201(k)(5) lets the council designate high-value roads as 'Litter Enforcement Corridors,' marked with signs, to focus enforcement.