Springfield, IL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 170.17.42, Litter Control Ord.
- Fine range
- $500-$750 per conviction
- Repeat fine
- Fixed at $750
- Community service credit
- Up to 25% off, 8-40 hrs
- Informant reward
- Up to $100 of fine collected
Summary
Springfield bans dumping litter on any public or private property, or city-owned land, under § 170.17.42 of the Litter Control Ordinance, unless it's disposed of at a state-designated site, dropped in an owner's receptacle, or done with the property owner's consent. Convictions carry a $500 to $750 fine, and the city pays up to $100 of that fine to anyone whose tip leads to a conviction.
No person shall dump, deposit, drop, throw, discard, leave, cause or permit the dumping, depositing, dropping, throwing, discarding or leaving of litter upon any public or private property within the corporate limits of the City of Springfield or upon any property owned by or under the jurisdiction of the City of Springfield unless: (1) The property has been designated by the State of Illinois or any of its agencies, political subdivisions, units of local government or school districts for the disposal of litter and the litter is disposed of on the property in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Illinois Pollution Control Board; (2) The litter is placed into a receptacle intended by the owner or tenant in lawful possession of that property for the deposit of litter; or (3) The person is the owner or tenant in lawful possession of the property or has first obtained the consent of the owner or tenant in lawful possession, or unless the act is done under the personal direction of the owner or tenant and does not violate any statute or city ordinance, does not create a public health or safety hazard, a public nuisance or a fire hazard.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 82).
Full Breakdown
42 is the core provision of the Litter Control Ordinance, adopted in Division 4 of Chapter 170 to address what the city council found was an increasing problem of litter accumulating on public and private property. The dumping ban is broad: it prohibits dumping, depositing, dropping, throwing, discarding or leaving litter anywhere within the corporate limits, public or private, or on any property the city owns or controls. Three narrow exceptions apply: disposal at a site the State of Illinois or a local government has designated for litter under Illinois Pollution Control Board rules, placing litter into a receptacle the property's owner or tenant intended for that purpose, and disposal by the property's own owner or tenant, or with that person's consent, so long as it doesn't violate another law and doesn't create a health, safety, nuisance or fire hazard. 45 creates rebuttable presumptions of violation whenever litter is tied to identifying mail or thrown from a vehicle not carrying paying passengers.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under §§ 170.17.42, 170.17.43 or 170.17.44 draws a fine of $500 to $750 under § 170.17.499, with a second or later conviction fixed at $750, though up to 25% of that fine can be worked off through eight to 40 hours of approved public or community service. The city also pays up to $100 of any collected fine to a person whose tip led to the conviction, and these penalties stack on top of any other remedy available by law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on private property in Springfield illegal even if it's not my land?
What's the fine for illegal dumping in Springfield?
Does Springfield pay a reward for reporting illegal dumping?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Springfield
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