Pitt County, NC Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- First offense
- $100.00 civil citation
- Second offense
- $200.00 civil citation
- Subsequent offenses
- $400.00 civil citation
- Who cites
- Pitt County Solid Waste Department employees
- Evidence rule
- Mail in waste is prima facie ownership
- Alternative
- Cleanup work allowed instead of penalty
- Liability
- Vehicle owner liable for its dumping
Summary
Pitt County treats illegal dumping, including dumping prohibited materials or excess quantities at solid waste receptacles or the transfer station, dumping in unapproved areas, or mixing recyclables and garbage, as a civil offense under Section 16 of the Solid Waste Recycling, Collection and Disposal Ordinance. Solid Waste Department employees can issue citations starting at $100 and rising with repeat violations.
Section 16. Enforcement, Penalties and Remedies A. The employees of the Solid Waste Department are hereby empowered to issue civil citations upon the observance of a violation of this Ordinance. It is the intent of this Ordinance that each person is responsible for the proper management of his/her own waste and is responsible for all acts involving vehicles and equipment owned by him/her. The owner of a vehicle shall be responsible for dumping, littering and other violations in which his vehicle is used. ... B. Minimum civil penalties for violation of this Ordinance shall be the following: ... 2. Illegal dumping including dumping prohibited materials or quantities of materials in the solid waste receptacles or transfer station, dumping in unapproved areas, placing recyclables in inappropriate containers, or garbage in recycling containers: First Offense $100.00 Second Offense $200.00 Subsequent Offenses $400.00
Full Breakdown
Section 16(A) empowers Solid Waste Department employees to issue civil citations directly whenever they observe a violation of the ordinance. The ordinance holds each person responsible for managing their own waste and for any violation, including dumping and littering, committed using a vehicle they own; where more than one person is required to act, liability is joint and several. The addressee of first-class mail found in dumped waste is treated as prima facie evidence that the addressee owns that waste, so investigators can trace an illegal dump back to a name and address on discarded mail.
The Department can let a violator perform cleanup work, at a quantity and time the Department finds satisfactory, in place of prosecution or a civil penalty. 00 for every offense after that. The same Section 16(B) sets parallel penalty ladders for related conduct: scavenging draws $25/$50/$100, littering draws $100/$200/$400, and improper transportation or covering by contract haulers draws $100/$200/$400, with a driver who leaves the county facility without unloading or properly covering a load after being warned treated as committing a separate offense each time.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping penalties escalate under Section 16(B)(2): $100.00 for a first offense, $200.00 for a second, and $400.00 for every offense after that, issued as a direct civil citation by Solid Waste Department staff without needing a separate court filing. The vehicle owner is liable for a dump committed with their vehicle, and mail found at the site can be used as evidence of who owns the dumped waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the fine for illegal dumping in Pitt County?
Who enforces Pitt County's illegal dumping rules?
Can Pitt County trace an illegal dump back to a specific person?
Is dumping in the wrong recycling bin also treated as illegal dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pitt County
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