Fines and Cleanup Costs

Illegal Dumping Results in Fines and Cleanup Costs

A person convicted of violating California’s illegal dumping laws must pay a fine of at least $250 up to $1,000 for the first conviction. The amount of the fine can increase to as much as $3,000 for subsequent convictions. In addition to a fine, the person convicted of dumping must remove, or pay to have removed, the unwanted materials.

If an individual dumps “commercial quantities” of waste, the fine is even higher: a minimum of $1,000 for the first conviction, rising to as much as $10,000 for a third conviction. Commercial quantities include waste materials generated by a business or occupation, or amounts of one cubic yard or more.

Tires have their own regulations because of their flammability and the fact that they can provide ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Fines for illegally dumping tires are significantly higher than fines for illegally discarding other materials. They may range from $500 to $10,000 per day per violation.

See California Penal Code 374-3 for details about the penalties that can be assessed for illegal dumping.

Legal Disposal Options

Sonoma County offers numerous legal disposal options for all types of unwanted materials. See the section on Legal Disposal Options for details.