Rockland County, NY Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 350-14
- Max civil penalty
- $1,000 per violation
- Presumption window
- 3 days to deliver to designated facility
- Enforcing officer
- Dept. of Health Commissioner
- Extra remedy
- Injunction for repeat violators
Summary
Dumping solid waste, recyclables or yard waste on someone else's property, along a roadside, or in a commercial dumpster you do not own is a violation of County Code § 350-14, punishable by a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per offense under § 350-15.
It shall be a violation of this chapter for any person to throw, dump, deposit or place solid waste, recyclables, construction and demolition debris, scrap metals, and/or yard waste along the roadside or on public and/or private property within the County without the express consent of the owner of such property.
Full Breakdown
Section 350-14 lists seven separate dumping and scavenging violations. Subsection D states it is a violation of the chapter for any person to throw, dump, deposit or place solid waste, recyclables, construction and demolition debris, scrap metals, or yard waste along the roadside or on public or private property within the County without the express consent of the owner of that property. Subsection A bars placing waste for collection at any property other than the one that generated it, and § 350-14B bars dumping waste into a dumpster or container designated for a commercial or industrial entity's own use.
Section 350-14C bars burying or burning solid waste on public or private property unless the applicable village or town authorizes it. Subsections F and G bar scavenging: burning, breaking, destroying, scattering, or taking recyclables without the owner's consent, or taking them from a drop-off location or other designated facility. Enforcement leans on the rebuttable presumptions in § 350-15A: failure to deliver collected waste to a designated facility within three days of pickup is presumed to be illegal dumping, and a container marked with a hauler's name is presumed to be that hauler's active service location.
The Commissioner of Health enforces the chapter under § 350-15B, with power to subpoena witnesses, hold hearings, and seek an injunction in court against serious or repeated violators under § 350-15C(3)(e).
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping or scavenging under § 350-14 carries a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for each single violation under § 350-15C(3)(a), with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense under § 350-15C(3)(d). The Commissioner can also suspend or revoke a permittee's right to transport or dispose of waste in the County under § 350-15C(3)(f).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump trash on someone else's property in Rockland County?
What penalty applies for illegal dumping?
How does the county prove waste was illegally dumped instead of properly collected?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rockland County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Rockland County to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
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