San Antonio, TX Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- SAMC 14-47; penalty 14-45(a)
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 per day
- Repeat minimums
- $200 second, $300 third conviction
- Enforcing agency
- Solid Waste Management Department
- Reach
- City limits and ETJ
Summary
Dumping trash, debris, junk, or garbage on any San Antonio street, waterway, drain, or public or private lot is unlawful and a declared public nuisance under Municipal Code section 14-47, carrying municipal-court fines of $100 to $2,000 per day.
(b) It shall be unlawful and declared a nuisance for any person... to cast, throw, drop, place, sweep, deposit, accumulate, or spill refuse, rubbish, trash, debris, filth, carrion, junk, garbage, impure or unwholesome matter of any kind, or other objectionable or unsightly matter of whatever kind in or upon any street, sidewalk, park, canal, stream, drain, sewer receiving basin, or any other public or private property within the city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction, except as provided in this chapter.
Full Breakdown
Section 14-47(b) makes it unlawful to cast, throw, drop, deposit, or spill refuse, rubbish, trash, junk, or garbage in or upon any street, sidewalk, park, canal, stream, drain, sewer receiving basin, or any public or private property inside the city or its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Section 14-47(a) separately declares letting such matter accumulate on property you own or control a public nuisance. The Solid Waste Management Department enforces the ban. Under section 14-45(a) each day is a separate offense fined $100 to $2,000; a second conviction draws at least $200, a third at least $300, and any fine above $500 requires an intentional, knowing, or reckless finding.
Violations & Fines
Illegal dumping is prosecuted in municipal court with fines of $100 to $2,000, and each day it continues is a separate offense; a second conviction carries at least $200 and a third at least $300.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the fine for illegal dumping in San Antonio?
Does the ban cover private property and the ETJ?
Is letting trash pile up on my own lot illegal?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Antonio
Texas rules heatmap·Compare San Antonio to another location·View the Texas trash & recycling overview
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Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Bexar County handle illegal dumping.