Santa Fe, NM Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

1 defines dumping broadly to include disposing of solid waste or other discarded material on private property such as vacant lots or containers not intended for that use, disposing of waste on any public place or public right-of-way, and simply allowing refuse to collect or accumulate on privately owned premises. 1. For violations that are not an immediate health threat, the city first issues a written warning giving the responsible party fifteen days to submit a corrective-action plan; if that deadline passes without correction, the city may assess an administrative fee or issue a municipal court citation carrying misdemeanor-level penalties, and any later, similar violation skips the warning step entirely.

Administrative fees escalate by address: an amount equal to the monthly service fee for a first violation, double that for a second, triple for a third, and quadruple for a fourth or later violation, capped at $500. 8, and beyond fines the city can pursue injunctive relief in district court, recovering its attorney's fees and costs, or abate the dumping as a public nuisance under Section 10-9 SFCC 1987. Liability is joint and several between the property owner and the resident.