With illegal dumping summonses up more than 20 percent in the last fiscal year, the Department of Sanitation reminds New Yorkers they can receive a bounty for helping the department catch criminals who dump illegally.
“Too often, crooked contractors steal our public space by dumping materials in streets, lots and sidewalks that they perceive to be out of the way,” said acting New York City Department of Sanitation (DSNY) commissioner Javier Lojan. “We are catching more and more of these criminals with in-person surveillance and an expanded network of hidden cameras – and we also welcome assistance from the everyday New Yorkers who know these neighborhoods best. Provide us valuable information to catch these criminals and you could be eligible for half the $4,000 fine.”
DSNY has two bounty programs that provide awards to people who witness and report illegal dumping:
- Illegal Dumping Award Program: Complete an affidavit and/or submit a video after witnessing illegal dumping. When the lawbreaker is fined, the witness is eligible for 50 percent of the fine that the City collects. If the lawbreaker challenges the ticket at the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH) hearing, the witness must attend. Videos can be emailed to IllegalDumpingTips@dsny.nyc.gov.
- Illegal Dumping Tip Program: Anyone who tips off the city – so that they can catch an illegal dumper in the act – is eligible for a reward of up to 50 percent of the fine collected. The tipster’s identity remains confidential – so he or she won’t have to appear at a hearing.
Note that illegal dumping is distinct from littering, as it refers specifically to dumping from a vehicle. If you witness illegal dumping, a video of the dumping taking place is most helpful to the department, with a clear picture of the license plate. Do not approach or engage with the dumpers.
Those caught dumping materials will have their vehicles impounded and face summonses that begin at $4,000, plus the cost of cleaning.
In the last three years, DSNY deployed a network of more than 300 hidden cameras to catch illegal dumpers. In Fiscal Year 2025, the department issued 21 percent more summonses for illegal dumping than the previous fiscal year, for a total of 872, and impounded 417 illegal dumping vehicles, a 46 percent increase over 2024.
The department has cleaned away at least one million pounds of material left by illegal dumpers in the last year – and the total may be two to three times that.
Published January 2026
