Peoria, IL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Section 13-41 of the Peoria City Code makes it unlawful to throw, deposit or dump litter on any property unless the material goes to a public landfill or the property owner has authorized the dumping. The owner of dumped litter remains responsible for it wherever it lands until it reaches a public landfill, and if litter is found on someone else's property, proof that a particular person owns that litter is treated as prima facie evidence against them at trial. The ordinance does allow an affirmative defense: if the owner of the litter reasonably relied on an agent or another person to haul it to a public landfill and that person illegally dumped it instead, the litter's owner can raise that reliance as a defense to prosecution.

00 per violation. 00 or ten percent of the collected fine, whichever amount is greater. Illegal dumping is specifically carved out of the settlement option available for most Chapter 13 offenses under Section 13-10, so a person cited under Section 13-41 cannot simply pay a set fine to the city treasurer and avoid court; the case proceeds to prosecution and a judge sets the penalty within the statutory range.