Champaign County, IL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Champaign County only
- Prohibited
- Garbage or debris outside a licensed facility
- Relocation loophole closed
- Moving debris still counts as continuing violation
- County self-help
- Removal under 55 ILCS 5/5-1118, cost liened
- Notice period
- At least 15 days to abate
- Minimum settlement fine
- $100
- Court fine range
- $100-$500 first, $200-$500 repeat
Summary
Champaign County's Public Nuisance Ordinance bans dumping or accumulating garbage or debris on public or private land anywhere outside a licensed facility in the unincorporated county. Violators face a $100 minimum settlement fine or a State's Attorney prosecution with court fines up to $500 per offense, and the county can remove the material itself and lien the cleanup cost against the property.
A. Deposition, accumulation, maintenance or disposal other than in properly permitted and/or licensed facilities of: 1. GARBAGE or DEBRIS; ... D. The County may act to abate a public nuisance involving GARBAGE or DEBRIS upon expiration of the period specified in the notice of violation. The county, pursuant to the Illinois Counties Code (55 ILCS 5/5-1118), may provide for the removal of the GARBAGE or DEBRIS if the owner of the property on which the nuisance is located has failed to abate the public nuisance. The County may collect the reasonable costs of removal from the owner which costs shall be a lien upon the property. ... The minimum fine for a violation as specified in Section 6.1 shall be $100.
Full Breakdown
A). The ordinance defines DEBRIS broadly to include junk, litter, construction or demolition waste, ashes or cinders, and goods damaged so as to have little or no value, and GARBAGE to include trash, refuse, offal, putrescible waste and animal carcasses. B treats that relocation as a continuation of the original cited nuisance. D lets the County itself remove the material under the Illinois Counties Code, 55 ILCS 5/5-1118, and recover the reasonable cost of removal from the owner as a lien on the property. D). B).
Violations & Fines
Unabated dumping draws a notice of violation with at least 15 days to clean up (Section 4.3.D); relocating the debris to another county lot does not cure it (Section 4.4.B). The county can remove the material itself under 55 ILCS 5/5-1118 and lien the cost to the property (Section 4.4.D), while the responsible party faces a $100 minimum settlement fine or a court fine of $100-$500 per offense, $200-$500 on repeat violations (Sections 6.3, 6.4).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping garbage or debris on vacant land illegal in Champaign County?
What counts as debris under the county ordinance?
Can the county clean up dumped garbage itself and bill the owner?
What fines apply for illegal dumping in Champaign County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Champaign County
Compare Champaign County to another location·View the Illinois trash & recycling overview
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