Perth Amboy, NJ Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- First-offense fine under § 243-2
- Not less than $500, not more than $2,000
- General Chapter 243 penalty
- Up to 90 days jail, $1,000 fine, or 90 days community service
- Continuing violations
- Each day is a separate and distinct offense
- Vehicle or boat
- Operator or owner, or both, also violate
- Cleanup costs
- Certified by Public Works and assessed against the violator
- Who issues summonses
- Public Works, Recycling Coordinator, Code Enforcement, police
Summary
In the City of Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey, it is unlawful to dump, throw, drop or let litter, garbage, bulk items, rubbish or hazardous materials pile up on public or private property. A first conviction under § 243-2 carries a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $2,000.
A. It shall be unlawful for any individual, property owner, business entity or its agent to dump, throw, drop, discard or otherwise place or allow to accumulate any litter, garbage, bulk items, rubbish or hazardous materials of any nature upon public or private property other than as may be specifically permitted in the provisions of this ordinance. ... D. Any individual, property owner, business entity or its agent caught in the act of violating the provisions of Section 243-2 A, B or C of this chapter shall be issued a summons and directed by the issuing City agent to remove and properly dispose of the unlawfully discarded items and clean the affected area. ... Conviction for violation of § 243-2, Unlawful dumping or disposal; Prohibited acts and regulated activities, shall result in a fine for the first offense of not less than $500 and not more than $2,000.
Full Breakdown
Section 243-2(A) of the Perth Amboy City Code covers every kind of discard: litter, garbage, bulk items, rubbish and hazardous materials, on public property or private property. It reaches individuals, property owners, business entities and their agents. Subsection (B) reaches roads and water: when an item is thrown or allowed to fall from a vehicle or boat, the operator or owner, or both, are also deemed to have violated the article. Subsection (C) bars anyone from putting residential, household, commercial or industrial garbage, refuse, rubbish, yard waste or bulk items in or on street-side City litter containers. Those containers exist for individual litter only.
A person caught in the act is issued a summons and directed by the issuing City agent to remove and properly dispose of the discarded items and clean the affected area. If the violator is identified afterward, the summons goes to that individual or entity. The Police Department, the Department of Code Enforcement and the Department of Public Works are authorized to seek a search warrant from the Perth Amboy Municipal Court to inspect the contents of illegally dumped opaque bags for identity information.
Except for hazardous materials, the Chief of Police, the Director of Code Enforcement and the Director of Public Works, or their designees, can have Public Works remove the dumped material and clean the area. Public Works keeps a certified record of all expenses so they can be assessed against the violator. Hazardous materials are handled separately: under § 243-9 the City does not collect them, and they go to the Middlesex County Hazardous Waste Days.
Violations & Fines
Under § 243-24, a conviction for any violation of Chapter 243 is punished by one or more of the following: up to 90 days in the county jail, a fine not exceeding $1,000, or community service not exceeding 90 days. A conviction under § 243-2 carries a first-offense fine of not less than $500 and not more than $2,000. Each violation, and each day it continues, is a separate offense. The court can also order restitution to the City of Perth Amboy for remediation costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fine for illegal dumping in Perth Amboy?
Can I put household trash in a City street-side litter container?
Who is responsible if something is thrown from a car or boat?
Who pays to clean up illegally dumped material in the City of Perth Amboy?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Perth Amboy
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle illegal dumping.