Putnam County, NY Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- County-owned, leased, or rented property
- First-offense fine
- Up to $500
- First-offense jail
- Up to 30 days
- Second offense fine
- Up to $750, one-year window
- Third+ offense fine
- Up to $1,000
- Enforcement
- Putnam County Sheriff's Department
Summary
Putnam County's littering law bans dumping filth, garbage, or rubbish on any property owned, leased, or rented by the county unless it goes into a container the county provides. First offenses draw up to a $500 fine plus 20 hours of community service or 30 days in jail, escalating on repeat violations.
No person shall deposit, place, cast or throw, or cause to be deposited, placed, cast or thrown, or consent thereto, or aid or abet the depositing, placing, casting or throwing or accumulation, upon any sidewalk, public place, building, structure, parking area, lot, parcel, vacant land, ground or any other interest in real property owned, leased or rented by the County of Putnam any filth, dirt, ashes, garbage, wastepaper, paper, dust, rubbish, foodstuff, cans, bottles, litter of any kind, flammable material, lighted matches, cigars or cigarettes or any other substance unless it shall be deposited in a suitable container provided therefor by the County of Putnam. ... Any violation of any provisions of this chapter shall be deemed a violation, and any person found guilty thereof shall be liable to a fine not to exceed $500 and/or 20 hours of community service or imprisonment not exceeding 30 days, or by both such fine, community service and imprisonment. ... Each day's violation shall constitute a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 177 was adopted in 2008 to protect the ground and surface waters of county-owned property from noxious material. Section 177-2 prohibits depositing, placing, casting, throwing, or accumulating filth, dirt, ashes, garbage, wastepaper, paper, dust, rubbish, foodstuff, cans, bottles, litter of any kind, flammable material, lighted matches, or cigars and cigarettes on any sidewalk, public place, building, structure, parking area, lot, parcel, vacant land, or other real property interest the county owns, leases, or rents, unless it is placed in a suitable county-provided container. The prohibition also covers consenting to, aiding, or abetting someone else's littering.
Because the chapter reaches only county-owned or county-controlled land, dumping on private property or land belonging to one of Putnam's towns or villages falls outside this specific ordinance and would instead be addressed under the applicable local government's own code or state Environmental Conservation Law. The Sheriff and any deputy sheriff are charged with enforcing the chapter, issuing summonses requiring the violator's appearance in court, though any other authorized police or peace officer can also enforce it.
Violations & Fines
Under § 177-3, each violation is punishable by a fine up to $500, up to 20 hours of community service, up to 30 days' imprisonment, or a combination. A second violation within one year raises the fine ceiling to $750 with up to 40 hours of community service, and more than two violations within a year raise the fine ceiling to $1,000. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Putnam County's littering law cover?
Does the county littering law apply to private land?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping on county property?
Who enforces the littering chapter in Putnam County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Putnam County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Putnam County to another location·View the New York trash & recycling overview
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