Riverside, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited acts
- Throw, drop, dump, bury, burn waste
- Covered locations
- Any lot, street, alley, waterway
- Burial
- Banned on any lot citywide
- Composting exception
- Backyard yard-waste composting still legal
- Cost recovery
- Cleanup costs billed under §16.32.390
Summary
It's unlawful to throw, drop, dump, bury, or burn garbage, refuse, or solid waste on any lot, street, alley or waterway in Riverside, burial is banned outright on any lot in the city, under RMC § 6.04.080, with cleanup costs recoverable from violators.
A.No person shall throw, drop, leave, dump, bury, burn, place, keep, accumulate or otherwise dispose of any waste matter, including, but not limited to, garbage, hazardous waste, refuse, recyclable materials, rubbish, or solid waste as defined in Section 6.04.010 upon any lot, land, street, alley, water or waterway, either with or without intent to later remove same. Any person in violation of this Section may be subject to the hazardous materials cleanup cost recovery provisions of Section 16.32.390.B.Solid waste may not be buried on any lot in the City. This section shall not be interpreted to prohibit composting of yard waste.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33).
Full Breakdown
080 is Riverside's core anti-dumping provision. 010, on any lot, land, street, alley, water or waterway, regardless of whether the person intends to come back and remove it later. That breadth means the ban covers not just dumping on someone else's property but also illegally accumulating waste on your own lot or leaving it in a street, alley, or waterway. 390, meaning a dumper can be billed for the city's cleanup costs on top of any other penalty. Subsection B adds a flat rule that solid waste may not be buried on any lot in the City, with one carve-out: the section shall not be interpreted to prohibit composting of yard waste, so a backyard compost pile for grass clippings and food scraps stays legal even though burial generally is not. 090, since unsightly solid waste interferes with the reasonable enjoyment of property by neighbors.
Violations & Fines
A dumping violation under § 6.04.080 exposes the responsible party to the citywide default in § 1.01.110: up to a $250 infraction fine, or up to $1,000 and six months in jail if charged as a misdemeanor, with each day counted separately. The city can also recover hazardous-materials cleanup costs directly from the violator under § 16.32.390, pursue Chapter 1.17 administrative citations, and abate dumped material as a public nuisance under § 6.04.090, billing abatement costs to the responsible party.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to dump trash on my own property in Riverside?
Can I bury yard debris or trash in my backyard?
What can Riverside do if someone illegally dumps hazardous waste?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle illegal dumping.