Is Dumpster Diving Illegal In New York State?

Dumpster diving is legal in New York, as long as the dumpster is located on public property and not on New York City’s bustling urban center. However, there are certain limitations to this activity.

In New York City, dumpster diving is not illegal as long as the dumpster is not on private property and there are no trespassing laws in place. However, there are exceptions, such as disturbing, removing, or transporting recyclable material placed out that is meant to be picked up by the state Department of Transportation.

The answer to whether dumpster diving is illegal depends on your state and local laws and regulations. Eco-Friendly Fact states that dumpster diving is not illegal in New York, but there are some exceptions. For example, if a business has signs posted where dumpster diving is allowed, it is allowed to sift through the trash without violating trespassing rules.

Disposal of unused items discarded by their owners but deemed useful to the picker is allowed once the trash has been placed on the street, picked up by the city waste management company, or placed in a municipal dumpster. However, it is important to ensure that the dumpster is not on private property and there are no No Trespassing signs posted.

In 1988, the Supreme Court ruled in California v. Greenwood that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy when discarding items in the trash. In New York City, while dumpster diving is not illegal, there are specific rules concerning the theft of recycling.

Depot diving is generally allowed unless prohibited by local ordinances in Texas and Ohio, with car enthusiasts in New York State being warned about unknowingly breaking the law with their vehicle modifications, which could result in hefty fines. It is essential to recognize that dumpster diving is not illegal in New York, but it is crucial to follow the guidelines set forth by local laws and regulations to avoid potential legal consequences.


📹 Dumpster Diving LAWS What Dumpsters can I Dive IN?

This video is about dumpster diving laws and what dumpster can i dive in and rules on signage, laws, and security cameras.


Is dumpster diving illegal in new york state reddit
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Can you dumpster dive in the US?

Dumpster diving is technically legal in all 50 U.S. states.

It can become illegal if you ignore warning signs, trespass on private property, engage in disorderly conduct, or pick a dumpster lock.

Trespassing can result in fines and up to 180 days in jail, depending on the state.

Disorderly conduct is a misdemeanor, with penalties that include fines of around $500 and/or imprisonment.

Dollar General dumpster diving policy
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Is it legal to dumpster dive in Nassau County, NY?

According to Eco-Friendly Fact, dumpster diving is not illegal in New York however, there are some exceptions. A person is free to sift through a dumpster as long as they are not violating trespassing rules. What this means is if a business has signs posted where their dumpster is located telling you to stay out, you need to stay out. Additionally, if you enter someone’s private property to rummage through their trash, you are considered trespassing and that is punishable.

Eco-Friendly Fact suggests that if you do want to go dumpster diving, the best places to find good garbage are in the dumpsters located at clothing stores, cosmetic stores, construction sites, and at apartment complexes. However, remember if there are posted signs telling you that you shouldn’t be rummaging, leave.

Before you jump into a dumpster to see if you can find any treasures, you should call your town or village offices to make sure that there are no local ordinances forbidding dumpster diving but on the state level, there are not.

Dumpster diving Buffalo NY
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How much does junk removal cost in NYC?

Junk removal costs in NYC typically range from $100 to $800, depending on the specific removal needs. Drawing on our firsthand experience and the services we’ve provided, the average cost for a full-service junk removal is around $250.

Figuring out the cost of professional junk removal in NYCcan be difficult as so many factors affect the cost. You need to consider the type of removal, the amount of junk to be removed, whether permits or dumpsters will be required, any parking fees or restrictions, access issues, and more.

Let’s explore these factors in more detail, consider the various options, discuss the pros and cons of DIY junk removal and other tips to reduce costs, and finally provide advice on how to choose a professional junk removal service.

●The cost of junk removal in NYC varies greatly based on many factors.

Is dumpster diving illegal in North Dakota
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Is dumpster diving illegal in Florida in 2024?

What Does Florida Law Say About Dumpster Diving? There are no Florida laws that explicitly prohibit or legalize dumpster diving statewide. However, dumpster diving often involves trespassing on private property, which can be illegal under certain circumstances.

Is Dumpster Diving Illegal in Florida?. Dumpster diving—the practice of searching through trash containers to find useful items that have been discarded—occupies a legal gray area in many places. So is this activity legal or illegal in the Sunshine State? Let’s take a closer look.

What Does Florida Law Say About Dumpster Diving?. There are no Florida laws that explicitly prohibit or legalize dumpster diving statewide. However, dumpster diving often involves trespassing on private property, which can be illegal under certain circumstances.So whether dumpster diving is legal or not depends on the situation:

  • Dumpster diving may be legal if the trash container is located on public property and no signs prohibit tampering with trash receptacles.
  • Dumpster diving is probably illegal if it involves trespassing onto private property or violating posted restrictions.

Do you need a permit for a dumpster in Nassau County NY?

When Do I Need a Dumpster Permit?. Permits are almost never required when placing a dumpster on private property. If you are placing a dumpster on public property, such as a street or a parking lot, then a dumpster permit is often required. Roll-Off Dumpster recommends checking with your local municipality before ordering any dumpster that will be placed on public property.

Is dumpster diving illegal reddit
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Do you need a permit to rent a dumpster near me?

Generally, acquiring a permit for a dumpster rental is not required as long as it can be accommodated entirely within your property or driveway. However, if space limitations necessitate placing the dumpster partly on the street or sidewalk, you might need to obtain a permit from the public works department of your town. This could include a street permit or a right-of-way permit. If you have enlisted the services of a contractor, they might be able to assist you in obtaining the necessary permits.

Please be aware that the rules and regulations pertaining to dumpster permitting can differ between towns. To determine whether a permit is necessary in your case, it is advisable to consult your city’s website or contact the city clerk directly. This step will provide you with valuable information regarding the specific requirements in your location.

To apply for a permit, numerous city websites offer a convenient form that you can fill out. In the event that you are unable to locate the form on the website, it may be necessary to contact the city clerk for assistance in locating the application. When filling out the application online, please note that certain city websites may require you to create an account beforehand in order to submit your application.

Do you need a license to do junk removal in NY?

A Trade Waste Removal License is required for any business engaged in the removal, collection, or disposal of putrescible and non-putrescible materials or substances from commercial establishments in New York City. The Trade Waste Removal License expires every two years.

Can you Dumpster Dive at Sephora?

It was made by so while I have never personally been an Ulta or Sephora store employee I have talked to some and that seems to be what they do with their stuff. Now I can attest to the fact that.

Dumpster diving Long Island
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Is dumpster diving illegal in CO?

What Does Colorado Law Say About Dumpster Diving?. You are allowed to dive into dumpsters in Colorado that are on public property or dumpsters that are unlocked and dumpsters that do not display a “No Trespassing” sign. It’s the location of the dumpster that can make dumpster diving illegal in Colorado.

If the dumpster you want to dive into is on private property, is locked, ordisplays a no-trespassing sign, you are trespassing by going inside it. This is the main thing that can make your dive illegal in Colorado. It’s all about the location of the dumpster.

If the dumpster belongs to a business or a private residence, you can not dive in it. If you have to open a gate, cross a fence, or see any “no trespassing” signs, you would be breaking the law by diving into that dumpster.Find more pro tips in thecompleteguide to Colorado Dumpster Diving fromMoneyworths.com.

Is dumpster diving legal in Tennessee
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What is dumpster diving in simple words?

What is dumpster diving?. Dumpster diving is looking for treasure in someone else’s trash. In the world of information technology (IT), dumpster diving is a technique used to retrieve information that could be used to carry out an attack or gain access to a computer network from disposed items.

Dumpster diving isn’t limited to searching through the trash for obvious treasures, such as access codes or passwords written down on sticky notes. Seemingly innocent information, such as a phone list, calendar or organizational chart, can be used to assist an attacker using social engineering techniques to gain access to the network.

To prevent dumpster divers from learning anything valuable from trash, experts recommend that businesses establish a disposal policy where all paper including printouts is shredded in a cross-cut shredder before being recycled, all storage media is erased and all staff is educated about the danger of untracked trash.

What is the best defense against dumpster diving attacks?

  • Shred sensitive documents: Use a shredder to destroy documents that contain personal or sensitive information before throwing them away. This makes it difficult for attackers to reassemble the information.
  • Use secure disposal methods for electronics: Make sure to properly dispose of electronic devices, such as computers and smartphones, that may contain sensitive information. Wipe the hard drive clean or destroy the device to prevent data recovery.
  • Don’t disclose sensitive information publicly:Be cautious about sharing sensitive information, such as account numbers or passwords, in public areas where it could be overheard or seen by others.
  • Train employees on proper security procedures: Educate employees on the importance of data security and the potential risks of dumpster diving. Encourage them to be vigilant about properly disposing of sensitive materials.
  • Monitor physical security:Install security cameras or employ security personnel to monitor areas where dumpsters are located, particularly after business hours.
  • Secure your dumpsters: Consider using a lock or other physical security measures to prevent unauthorized access to your dumpsters.
  • Implement a clean desk policy: Encourage employees to keep their work spaces tidy and free of sensitive information that could be discarded improperly.
Is dumpster diving legal in Rockwall Texas
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Is dumpster diving illegal in Illinois?

Is it legal to dumpster dive in Illinois? Illinois state law doesn’t directly regulate the legality of dumpster diving, but does prohibit “scavenging” from open waste, or disposed items outside of a trash can.


📹 dumpster diving LAWS by state

Dumpster diving LAWS by state. Join me as i explain the dumpster diving laws for Illinois and how the laws work for other states on …


Is Dumpster Diving Illegal In New York State
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Debbie Green

I am a school teacher who was bitten by the travel bug many decades ago. My husband Billy has come along for the ride and now shares my dream to travel the world with our three children.The kids Pollyanna, 13, Cooper, 12 and Tommy 9 are in love with plane trips (thank goodness) and discovering new places, experiences and of course Disneyland.

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20 comments

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  • Taking trash from a dumpster or dumpster diving in itself is not illegal. A United States Supreme Court ruling in 1988 (California vs. Greenwood) concluded that trash left outside a store is a part of the public domain. … This means that other people like dumpster divers are free to take it…..Even if your city allows dumpster diving, there are additional actions that stores and law enforcement can take to discourage it. Littering: It’s best to keep a dumpster looking cleaner than you left it. Not only is this common courtesy, but it’s the law. Leaving behind a garbage mess is one of the fastest and easiest ways for you to overstay your visit and land yourself in hot water. Disorderly Conduct: As always, be polite and respectful of others around you. Causing a ruckus is never a good thing while dumpster diving. Don’t block sidewalks or alleys with your car. If you’re asked to leave by a store employee, manager, or anyone for that matter, kindly obey their orders. It’s not worth getting into a verbal confrontation and having the police show up when there are plenty of other dumpsters to dive at. Trespassing: Most dumpsters are fair game. However, if you see a dumpster inside a fenced enclosure with a “No Trespassing” sign or a dumpster leaning against the side of a building, immediately leave and find another one. Those garbage bins are not a part of the public domain meaning that you can be charged for trespassing. You only want to go for public dumpsters.

  • Ok, so usually what I find in many dumpsters are cans with pull tabs, soup cans, cat food and dog food cans. I go into dumpsters, I’m not stealing any cans or anything. I’m just collecting the pull tabs off of all of these cans for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis TN. So with me collecting pull tabs, there is an upcoming event for the Pop-Tab palooza April 26, 2019. Google the pop tab palooza form. It has to be returned back to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Memphis TN by April 16, 2019.

  • I have watched several of your articles and have tried to look into the legalities in my county, city, townships… I have found nothing. I realized you never specified the search terms (like: statutes/ordinances) like do I look or put in the search “dumpster diving”, “trespassing”, “Disorderly Conduct”…Thanks again for your article’s they are informative.

  • Here’s a strange question: so you have used 134-a, hammer remove the lock gathered your treasure when leaving you cleaned up, left a brand-new lock & the keys in the lock then what? Remember you must always leave the place as you found it this is the primary reason why establishments try to catch you because of the mess you left behind (you make work for them) so cleanup and make it look the way it was when you got there

  • I would just ask directly. I don’t dumpster dive but, it’s probably best to just ask the business first. The worst that they can say is no, right? I get free/super cheap stuff to flip all the time and ask around about boxes, etc and rarely have to pay full price for anything. Some smaller businesses may be okay just giving it to you if they’re gonna throw it out. I don’t really intentionally dumpster dive/curb pick but, if there’s a bucket I can use for my plants or some good boxes, I’ll grab them. I usually just browse around on next door and get free stuff that way though.

  • On a personal note a pantsuit with hood helps protect her close and a winter mask of some kind and never park your vehicle near the area do a drive-by pickup after you’ve moved the belongings out of camera range even though a rag over the license plate may protect your tags your vehicle is still visible

  • So I went dumpster diving not to long ago and there was a sign that said no dumpster diving(not trespassing), no one caught me but I’m afraid of security cameras. I’m not sure if their security in the area checks their cameras often so im just wondering if they could get me when they check the cameras.

  • I have never dumpster diver before and I’m interested in doing it and I live in Delaware I looked up the laws like you said on your article there’s nothing stating that anything is illegal ( like you explained in the article). I know this will sound funny but is there a site I can look up for places to avoid where there is no trespassing allowed. Or do I just have to go and be aware of the signs?

  • Sorry one last question say for instances I didn’t see the no trespassing sign and it wasn’t in an area of where the dumpster are. Say for instance the sign was on a fence that wasn’t visible didn’t even see it near or around the dumpster. Should i do a sweep of the area first then dive? Or just go for it.

  • I looked so hard but I can’t find anything on dumpster diving in my surrounding areas in Louisiana. It’s not technically illegal of course but I can’t find anything on the laws in specific towns so I’m just hoping it’s fair game as long as there are no private property or no trespassing signs and it’s not locked up or against a building🤷‍♀️

  • What about Michigan? 🤔 P.s. I always look for signs and locks and don’t see any at the stores I go to. If I see cameras or gates, I’m out ✌ Would you suggest driving up to the dumpster or parking farther away and walking to it and use a bag to fill up? And I find it ironic that these stores want to eliminate or obtain zero waste, yet have tons of waste 🤦🏼‍♀️

  • Great article My Friend Very Interesting for sure. Never been to jail and don’t ever want too neither. Great Tips! In our county I don’t know much about dumpster diving but I’ve done for boxes and peanuts with the store managers permission. Too be safe. Yet, I’ve gotten a few things out to as well. One store because homeless were peeing or you know and they store banned it and put up no trespassing signs. Due to the scuzzy ppl. For Pete’s sake there’s woods right in front of them and that’s just disrespectful and tasteless. But if you cut across a parking lot our cops have been known to give tickets-so I’m glad to hear technically they cannot give you tickets on private property. Have a Awesome 4th Q on eBay and Amazon. Take care my friend and thanks for the info. Shane can I ask you kinda like a personal ? I think you as well as other men I have seen where the black wedding bands. Are they Rubber or is it a Titanium Band-Just Curious???? And I feel we are good enough friends to ask that ??. So I think??? Take care and Stay Safe! Keep Hustling buddy!

  • Ok, I read our laws,and it’s legal here in Alabama.aldi called the cops on me and didnt say I was trespassing but that I WAS A THIEF. I was stealing their trash.then the garbage truck came and I said are you going to arrest those thieves? Cop was a real ass.tried to show him the laws I had screenshots of.but he told me he didn’t want to see it.they let me go.

  • Sometimes the private owner is saving the “stuff” for a third party buyer. That “No Trespassing” sign, depending on the State or local government, could be highly problematic. Criminal charges, restitution for what was stolen. Defiant trespassing isn’t too bad…But “Theft By Unlawful Taking”… In Pennsylvania that can range between a low level misdemeanor all the way to a felony, depending on the value of what was taken. I think people who are rummaging in dumpsters on other people’s property in the wee hours would do well to reflect on their legal vulnerability in that situation. Why is one there in the middle of the night/early morning darkness? Because the owner probably wouldn’t approve from several different angles including possible liability if one gets injured. From a legal point of view people who do this don’t have a legitimate purpose for being on property. There isn’t a federal constitutional right to dumpster dive on the property of another. If people are concerned about how discards from dumpsters affects landfills then there are constitutionally protected forms of redress…dumpster diving isn’t one of them. I can see how people get a rush from dumpster diving but my concern for people is that they will inevitably come into contact with the police and/or get charged or cited.

  • this was no help at all for me. I looked and looked and cannot find anything for my state county of city. Yet, I was harassed tonight when I dove by a man who was a mgr for a business that adjoins to another business who’s dumpster I was going to dive in and as it turned out, i never even got out of my car as the man pulled up behind my car blocking me in with no way out. He told me that the city I was diving in has a law and diving is illegal and the fine is somewhere between 500-1000.00. Still….I hadn’t even gotten out of my car but he saw me checking other dumpsters. Still in our cars, I told him “that was good to know and don’t ever block me in as it was scaring me”. I should have told him that he was harassing me and I could call the police on him. With all this said…….I’m very frustrated that I cannot find any info on diving in the city i was in. I did call the local state police for that city and got a wishy washy not specific answer. I didn’t press for an answer as I didn’t want to have to give my name etc. What now? I don’t want to deal with idiots! I know…..don’t create trouble and just leave. I did that. I don’t like being threatened and blocked in either.

  • You are wrong on state of limitación there is no state of limitación on probation or parole even 50 Yeats later if they catch you for probation violation for obscounding they can arrest you and resentence you to up to 4 times the original sentence . Lets say you were j walking and got 4 months in jail and 4 Yeats probation of you fail yo report they can arrest you 50 Yeats later and resentence you to 16 months in jail and 16 Yeats probation. I know i’ve been there it .

  • First of All That was a Good article Thank You, However I have studied and read law as a hobby. Case Law, Statues, Ordinances, and Federal Law. So I tend to disagree with you about a Public Retailer being able to enforce Any Trespassing Violations on Their Private Property. If a Retailer is Open to the Public they Cannot Discriminate Against any Person who is Considered a Part of the Public. In other words if Your Allowing the Public on Your Private Property to shop, You have to Allow that portion of the Public that are Dumpster Divers on the Property as Well Otherwise the Retailer is in Violation. I Would Sue Their Happy Ass Off.

  • So i got a trespassing ticket and was detained for 5 hours. At a thrift store. There is no sign and i was never told not to. As soon ias i explained what i was doing. I asked if i eas being arrested they said no. I then asked if i could go and they said. No. Again but this time i asked if i was being detained. They said no. But still would not let ne. Leave. 5 hrs later they let me go.

  • Okay so do not impede and ongoing investigation possibly don’t take the drugs out of the trash can LOL good information so far so on the federal level not illegal so it’s just local state and city ordinances that you need to research up on is basically what you’re saying right? Can I figured once it’s in the dumpster it’s kind of anybody’s property or I guess public property would be a better term for it property

  • actually that’s private property and actually you are trespassing on somebody’s property and it’s not up to the store all the time cuz it dumped all song by somebody else and goes into that bend at belongs to the company that picks it up so yes it is illegal to dumpster dive who’s it says right on the trashand most people have no trespassing and most states it is but it is illegal because you’re all stealing from somebody’s property even if it’s trash it still belongs to the company that owns the pain so you are stealing from them