Under SMC 8.04.210 it is unlawful to throw or deposit any recyclable material, green waste, rubbish, or waste matter on any Stockton street. The 2024 illegal-dumping ordinance imposes fines of $1,000 (first), $2,000 (second), and $3,000 (subsequent) within a 12-month period, and pays tipsters $50 for a reported tip plus $200 once the case is resolved.
Stockton Municipal Code 8.04.210 makes it unlawful for any person in the City to throw or deposit any recyclable material, green waste, rubbish, or waste matter upon any street. A companion section, SMC 8.04.220, prohibits permitting discarded materials to accumulate in the vicinity of receptacles. The City Council adopted an enhanced illegal-dumping ordinance in September 2024 that establishes a tiered civil-penalty schedule of $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for the second offense within a 12-month period, and $3,000 for subsequent offenses, and creates a tipster reward program paying $50 when a verifiable tip is submitted and an additional $200 once the case is resolved. Tips with the source identified should go to the Stockton Police Department Neighborhood Services Section; debris-only reports (source unknown) go to the Municipal Service Center or the AskStockton service-request portal. Dumping on a state highway is also a violation of California Penal Code §374.3 (up to $10,000 and/or community service) and California Vehicle Code §23112 (litter on highways).
$1,000 / $2,000 / $3,000 administrative civil penalty schedule under the 2024 ordinance, escalating within a rolling 12-month period. Repeat or large-volume violations may be prosecuted as a misdemeanor under California Penal Code §374.3 (up to 6 months county jail and $10,000 fine for commercial dumping >100 lbs / $250 value). Property owners can be liable for failing to abate dumping on their parcel.
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