Sumter County, FL Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Section 21-1(a) makes it unlawful for any person, entity, homeowners, tenant or resident in Sumter County to improperly dispose of household garbage, litter and debris by depositing it on private property, whether that property belongs to the person dumping it, a vacant lot, or along county roadways and rights-of-way. The rule reaches dumping on the violator's own land as well as someone else's, closing off the argument that dumping on a vacant lot you own is not a violation. 00 fine. Section 21-1(d) adds a civil remedy on top of the criminal charge: the Board of County Commissioners or any citizen of Sumter County may file a civil suit to abate the nuisance created by the illegal dumping, and the prevailing party in that litigation can recover reasonable court costs and attorney's fees from the losing party.

The ordinance dates to Ordinance No. 91-9, §§ 1 through 4, adopted November 5, 1991, with amendments made by Ordinance No. 2014-06, § 3 in 2014 and Ordinance No. 2015-04, § 3A in 2015. Because litter and debris are defined broadly under Section 21-16 to include yard waste, construction debris and discarded containers, the dumping ban covers far more than kitchen garbage.