Stafford County, VA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Article V of Chapter 21, the county's litter control law, defines litter broadly to include garbage, trash, refuse, confetti, debris, rubbish, newspaper, glass, metal, plastic or paper containers, other construction material, motor vehicle parts, furniture, motor oil, dead animal carcasses, or anything else likely to injure a person, create a traffic hazard, or degrade the environment. Section 21-62 bars dropping or otherwise disposing of litter on any exterior public or private property in the county, with two narrow outs: placing it in a litter receptacle in a way that keeps it from falling or blowing out, or depositing it at a sanitary landfill the county owns or operates, or a lawfully permitted private facility.

A related rule, Section 21-63, requires anyone hauling loose material on a public way to cover or secure the load, and makes the hauler responsible for immediately cleaning up and paying for any material that spills, blows, or falls. Property owners, occupants, loading-dock operators, and construction-site contractors also have an affirmative duty under Section 21-64 to keep their loading areas, sidewalks, parking lots, and grounds free of litter and to furnish litter receptacles where needed, and businesses inviting the public in must install at least one visible litter receptacle in their parking area under Section 21-65.