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Boone County, MO Trash & Recycling: Yard Waste Collection (2026)

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

Key Facts

Prohibited act
Dumping yard waste into MS4/waterway
Penalty
Misdemeanor, per state law
Continuing violation
Each day is a new offense
Enforced by
County stormwater Director
State authority
RSMo § 64.907, 64.825-.885

Summary

Boone County bans dumping yard waste, leaves, grass clippings and brush into storm drains, the MS4 system or any waterway under its stormwater ordinance.

City-specific rules exist: Columbia has its own yard waste collection rules that differ from Boone County's county-level regulations. If you live in Columbia, check the city-specific page instead.

It shall be unlawful for any person to place, deposit or dump or to cause or allow the placing, depositing or dumping any refuse, rubbish, yard waste, paper litter, human waste or litter from encampment activities or other gatherings in close proximity to any waterway, or other discarded or abandoned objects, articles and accumulations containing pollutants into the municipal separate storm sewer system or into any waterway.

(4) Connection of sanitary sewer prohibited: It shall be unlawful for any person to connect a line conveying sewage to the municipal separate storm sewer system or to allow such a connection to continue.

(5) Industrial or construction activity discharges: It shall be unlawful for any person subject to an industrial activity or construction NPDES storm water discharge permit to fail to comply with all provisions of such permit.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.

Full Breakdown

Boone County's illicit discharge ordinance makes it unlawful to place, deposit or dump refuse, rubbish, yard waste or paper litter into the municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4) or into any waterway. The rule targets residents raking leaves or grass clippings into roadside ditches or storm drains, not just industrial dumping. It sits inside the county's broader stormwater pollution-prevention program adopted under RSMo §§ 64.907 and 64.825-.885, and is enforced by the County's stormwater Director alongside illicit-connection and construction-discharge prohibitions in the same article.

Violations & Fines

Violating the dumping prohibition is a misdemeanor punishable as provided by law; each day the yard waste remains dumped in the MS4 system or waterway is a separate offense under § 28.9.2(4).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I rake leaves or grass clippings into a roadside ditch in Boone County?
No. County code bans dumping yard waste, including leaves and clippings, into any storm drain, the MS4 system or a waterway; violators face misdemeanor charges.
What happens if I keep dumping yard waste near a creek after being cited?
Each additional day the dumping continues is a separate misdemeanor offense under § 28.9.2(4) of the county's stormwater ordinance.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Boone County

All Boone County rules

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