Summit County, OH Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- State ban
- Open burning or open dumping of solid waste illegal
- Infectious waste
- No exception; always prohibited
- Licensed disposal required
- Landfill, recycling or scrap tire facility only
- Penalty
- Felony, $10,000-$25,000 fine, 2-4 years
- Each day
- Separate offense under ORC 3734.99(A)
- Enforcing agency
- Ohio EPA, county health district
Summary
Ohio bans open dumping of solid waste statewide, and the ban reaches unincorporated Summit County directly under ORC 3734.03: no one may dispose of solid waste by open burning or open dumping except through a licensed facility or specific state-authorized method. Reckless violations are felonies carrying $10,000 to $25,000 fines and two to four years in prison per violation-day.
No person shall dispose of solid wastes by open burning or open dumping, except as authorized by the director of environmental protection in rules adopted in accordance with division (V) of section 3734.01, section 3734.02, or sections 3734.70 to 3734.73 of the Revised Code and except for burying or burning the body of a dead animal as authorized by section 941.14 of the Revised Code. No person shall dispose of treated or untreated infectious wastes by open burning or open dumping.
Full Breakdown
03, Open Burning or Open Dumping, is the state solid-waste statute that governs illegal dumping in unincorporated Summit County; the Ohio EPA and the county health district enforce it alongside the county's own litter rule at Code Sec. 08. 14. A second sentence separately bars disposing of treated or untreated infectious wastes by open burning or open dumping, with no exception at all. 05, not a legitimate or advanced recycling facility, and, for scrap tires, not a licensed scrap tire collection, storage, monocell, monofill or recovery facility.
That definition sweeps in the common case of dumping trash, appliances or construction debris on vacant land, in a ravine, or along a roadside rather than at a licensed landfill or transfer station. 03 or any other section of chapter 3734 is guilty of a felony, fined at least $10,000 but not more than $25,000, or imprisoned for at least two but not more than four years, or both, with each day of violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
A reckless violation of ORC 3734.03 is a felony under ORC 3734.99(A), fined not less than $10,000 nor more than $25,000, or punishable by two to four years in prison, or both, with each day of continued dumping treated as a separate offense. Ohio EPA and county health district staff investigate open dumping sites and can refer cases for prosecution or civil abatement in addition to any criminal fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is dumping trash on vacant land in Summit County a crime?
What's the penalty for illegal dumping under Ohio law?
Does the open dumping ban cover infectious waste too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Summit County
Compare Summit County to another location·View the Ohio trash & recycling overview
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