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Tehama County, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
Tehama County Code § 9.04.020
Covers
Rights-of-way and watercourses
Penalty basis
General penalty, §1.04.042
Classification
Misdemeanor

Summary

Dumping garbage, waste or refuse anywhere in unincorporated Tehama County besides an approved disposal site, including rights-of-way and watercourses, is a punishable misdemeanor under the county code.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Tehama County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

No person shall throw or deposit, or cause to be thrown or deposited, any garbage, waste or refuse, or allow any accumulation of same to remain, in or upon any public rightofway, watercourse, or banks of watercourses, or upon any premises whatsoever except at an approved disposal area.B.All refuse hauled by any person, over any road in the county shall be securely tied and covered during the hauling thereof, so as to prevent leakage, spillage or blowing. No person shall allow refuse of any kind whatsoever to leak, spill, blow or drop from any vehicle on any road. (Ord. 630 § 1(part), 1973)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).

Full Breakdown

Tehama County Code § 9.04.020 bans throwing or depositing garbage, waste or refuse, or letting it accumulate, on any public right-of-way, watercourse or bank, or upon any premises whatsoever except at an approved disposal area; hauled refuse must also be securely tied and covered so nothing leaks or blows off a vehicle. Chapter 9.04 sets no separate fine for this section, so a violation falls under the county's general penalty, § 1.04.042, making it a misdemeanor. This applies only within the unincorporated area of Tehama County, not Red Bluff, Corning, or the City of Tehama.

Violations & Fines

Depositing or accumulating garbage, waste or refuse outside an approved disposal area, or hauling an uncovered load that leaks or blows, violates § 9.04.020 and is a misdemeanor under § 1.04.042.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is dumping trash on vacant land illegal in unincorporated Tehama County?
Yes. County Code §9.04.020 bans depositing garbage, waste or refuse anywhere except an approved disposal site, including public rights-of-way, watercourses, and private property.
What's the penalty for illegal dumping?
The section itself sets no specific fine, so it defaults to the county's general penalty under §1.04.042, which makes any code violation a misdemeanor.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Tehama County

Noise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsYard Waste CollectionSome RestrictionsPickup Rules & SchedulesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSome Restrictions

All Tehama County rules

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