Richardson, TX Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Ordinances § 19-3
- Max fine per offense
- $2,000 under § 1-8(c)
- Standard code fine cap
- $500 for most other offenses
- Enforcing officials
- Director of health / solid waste superintendent
- Continuing violation
- Each day is a separate offense
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 4022, Sept. 9, 2013
Summary
Richardson makes it unlawful to dump, throw or place garbage, rubbish, refuse, junk, ashes, wastepaper, weeds, grass cuttings, rock or other waste on any public street, alley or public property, and bans the same materials on private property unless the dumping happens while removing or cutting them. The director of health or the solid waste superintendent investigates violations, which carry fines up to $2,000 per offense.
(a)No person shall dump, throw or place any garbage, rubbish, refuse, junk, ashes, filth, wastepaper, weeds, grass cuttings, rock, recyclable materials, or other waste matter of whatever kind in or on any public street, alley or other public property.(b)No person shall dump, throw or place any garbage, rubbish, refuse, junk, ashes, filth, wastepaper, weeds, grass cuttings, rock, recyclable materials, or other waste matter of whatever kind in or on any private property in the city except in connection with the removal or cutting of the same.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Section 19-3 of the Code of Ordinances splits the ban into two parts. Subsection (a) prohibits dumping garbage, rubbish, refuse, junk, ashes, filth, wastepaper, weeds, grass cuttings, rock, recyclable materials or other waste matter of whatever kind onto any public street, alley or other public property. Subsection (b) extends the same list of prohibited materials to private property citywide, carving out only dumping that happens in connection with the removal or cutting of the material, such as a landscaper piling clippings before hauling them off.
Section 19-2 assigns enforcement to the director of health or the superintendent of the solid waste division of the department of public services, or an authorized representative, who may inspect and investigate any premises, business establishment or private residence to enforce chapter 19. Because dumping falls under the code's public-health-and-sanitation category, section 1-8(c) doubles the citywide fine cap for it: violations of provisions that govern fire safety, zoning, or public health and sanitation, including dumping of refuse, draw a fine up to $2,000, versus the routine $500 cap that applies to most other Code of Ordinances offenses.
Section 1-8(c) also treats a continuing violation as a fresh offense every day it persists, and section 1-8(e) lets the city pursue an injunction or other equitable relief against ongoing dumping in addition to the criminal fine. Both sections trace to Ordinance No. 4022, adopted September 9, 2013.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under section 19-3 draws a fine of up to $2,000 per offense under section 1-8(c)'s enhanced sanitation and fire-safety penalty tier, rather than the code's default $500 cap. Each day dumped material remains on the property counts as a separate violation. The city may also seek an injunction or other equitable relief under section 1-8(e) to force cleanup or stop repeat dumping, independent of any criminal fine already imposed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I dump yard clippings on my own property in Richardson?
How much can Richardson fine someone for illegal dumping?
Who investigates illegal dumping complaints in Richardson?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richardson
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Richardson to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Dallas County handle illegal dumping.