Vallejo, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Section 7.44.100, part of Chapter 7.44's solid waste rules, prohibits dumping, throwing, depositing, sweeping, or otherwise disposing of solid waste, bulky goods, green waste, recyclables, junk, debris, or litter onto any body of water, marsh, wetland, California State Land Commission property, public place, vacant lot, or front or back yard, and bars storing or keeping such material anywhere in the city except in public receptacles, authorized private collection receptacles, or lawfully established dumping grounds. A companion rule at Section 7.44.110 separately bars letting waste, junk, debris, or litter accumulate on the street, gutter, sidewalk, or alley fronting a property.

To identify offenders, Section 7.44.150 allows the city to treat names, phone numbers, addresses, or license plates found in a pile of dumped trash as evidence creating an inference that the person identified is responsible for the dumping. Section 7.44.160 then makes anyone found responsible liable for the city's full costs, fees, and charges to remove and dispose of the dumped material, and extends that liability to a vehicle or trailer owner whenever the vehicle was used with the owner's express or implied permission, whether or not the owner knew how it would be used. Complaints can be filed anonymously with the city manager or designee under Section 7.44.170, and the city may conduct inspections to verify compliance.