Scranton, PA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 305-7, Dumping inside the city
- Penalty
- $150-$300 fine or 90 days jail
- Cleanup duty
- Violator must clear the site
- Enforcement
- Police or Bureau of Code Enforcement
- Waterway dumping
- Also banned, same penalty
Summary
Scranton declares dumping ashes, scrap, garbage, rubbish or refuse anywhere in the city, or into its rivers, streams or waterways, a nuisance and prohibits it outright under § 305-7. A violator faces a fine of $150 to $300 plus prosecution costs, up to 90 days in jail, and must personally clean up the dump site.
The dumping, throwing or placing of ashes, scrap, garbage, rubbish or refuse of any kind within the city, by any person, is hereby declared to be a nuisance and is prohibited. ... The dumping, throwing or placing of ashes, scrap, garbage, rubbish or refuse of any kind within the rivers, streams, creeks or waterways located within the City of Scranton by any person is hereby declared to be a nuisance and is prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4719898; v25 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 305-7 of Chapter 305, Littering, sets two parallel dumping bans: subsection A prohibits dumping, throwing or placing ashes, scrap, garbage, rubbish or refuse of any kind anywhere within the City, and subsection B separately prohibits the same conduct within the City's rivers, streams, creeks or waterways, declaring both a nuisance. The section works alongside § 305-8, which separately bans dumping household or commercial refuse into a public receptacle or into someone else's private receptacle without permission. Enforcement runs through the Police Department or the Bureau of Code Enforcement under § 305-16, using a litter offense notice delivered by the anti-litter and sanitation officer under § 305-14E, which gives the violator 10 days to pay before a summons issues.
If a violator ignores a Department of Community Development order to remove garbage, debris or litter and the City ends up cleaning the site itself, the City can place a lien on the property to recover the cost under state law. Parents or adults who knowingly let a minor commit a dumping violation are personally responsible for the City's cleanup costs under § 305-9.
Violations & Fines
A § 305-7 dumping violation is punished under § 305-14C by a fine of not less than $150 nor more than $300, plus prosecution costs, or imprisonment up to 90 days if the fine isn't paid. The violator must also clean up the entire dumping area; if they don't, the City does it and bills the violator for the full cost plus collection expenses, including attorney's fees. Each day the dumped material remains, and each affected property, counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the fine for illegal dumping in Scranton?
Is dumping into a creek or stream in Scranton treated differently than dumping on land?
Who enforces Scranton's illegal dumping law?
Do I have to clean up a site I illegally dumped on?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Scranton
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