San Francisco, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Article 26 of the San Francisco Police Code treats dumping on public property as a public nuisance when the material is construction debris, e-waste, or hazardous waste, or when any other waste exceeds five pounds or one cubic foot. " On the citation track, Department employees designated in Section 38 of the Police Code may issue administrative citations for each violation, with the penalty or fine capped at $1,000 per day for each violation. Because the cap is written per day and per violation, dumping that sits uncorrected across several days, or conduct involving several distinct violations, multiplies the exposure rather than merging it into a single fine.

Collection follows different procedures depending on the label: administrative penalties are assessed, enforced, and collected under Section 39-1 of the Police Code, while administrative fines follow Administrative Code Chapter 100. On the civil track, the City Attorney can separately sue for civil penalties of at least twice the City's abatement costs, plus attorneys' fees, and can recover investigation and litigation costs. The Department of Public Works is the enforcing department for citations. The administrative citation authority in Section 1606 was added by Ordinance 132-20 (File No. 191283), approved 8/21/2020 and effective 9/21/2020.