Rohnert Park, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned conduct
- depositing solid waste on vacant lots, yards, streets, or parks
- Burning banned
- solid waste may not be burned anywhere in the city
- First infraction fine
- up to $100, rising to $500 for repeats
- Repeat offense
- 3+ violations in 12 months chargeable as a misdemeanor
- Cleanup cost
- recoverable as a lien against the property
Summary
Rohnert Park makes it unlawful to throw or deposit solid waste on a vacant lot, in a backyard, street, alley, park, or any public place, or to burn it within the city. Violations are enforced as public nuisances with administrative fines that climb with repeat offenses, escalating to a misdemeanor after three violations in a year.
A.It is unlawful for any person to throw or deposit or cause to be thrown or deposited, any solid waste in or upon any vacant lot or in any back yard, or in or upon any street, alley, drive, highway, park or other public place in the city, any gutters or drain facilities connected therewith, or to deposit or place or keep any solid waste except in the manner prescribed in this chapter.B.It is unlawful to burn or cause to be burned in the city any solid waste. ... Any violation of this chapter shall be a public nuisance and may be punished as in infraction and enforced in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 1.16. Three or more subsequent violations of this chapter by the same person or persons within a twelve-month period may be charged and prosecuted as a misdemeanor. ... In addition, any violation shall be subject to the issuance of administrative citation and imposition of administrative fines in the following amounts, in accordance with the procedures of Chapter 1.25:1.A fine not exceeding one hundred dollars for a first violation;2.A fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same provision of this code within any twelve consecutive month period;3.A fine not exceeding five hundred dollars for each additional violation of the same provision of this code within any twelve consecutive month period.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 51 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
020(A) of the Rohnert Park Municipal Code makes it unlawful for any person to throw, deposit, or cause to be thrown or deposited any solid waste in or upon a vacant lot, in any back yard, or in or upon any street, alley, drive, highway, park, or other public place in the city, including gutters or drain facilities, or to place or keep solid waste except as the chapter prescribes. Subsection (B) separately bans burning solid waste anywhere in the city. 25, running up to $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within twelve months, and $500 for each further violation in that period.
Three or more violations by the same person within twelve months can be charged and prosecuted as a misdemeanor instead. 180, with the cost of that cleanup recoverable as a lien against the property. 160.
Violations & Fines
Illegally dumping solid waste on a vacant lot, in a yard, street, alley, or park, or burning it, is a public nuisance and infraction under §§ 8.12.020 and 8.12.170: administrative fines run up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each further repeat, with three or more violations in twelve months chargeable as a misdemeanor. The city can also summarily abate the dumped material and place a lien on the property for the cleanup cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the penalty for illegal dumping in Rohnert Park?
Is dumping trash on a vacant lot illegal even if it's not my property?
Can I burn trash instead of having it collected in Rohnert Park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rohnert Park
California rules heatmap·Compare Rohnert Park to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle illegal dumping.