ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFTTexas Health & Safety Code (HSC) § 365.012(e)
“ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT” stands for Illegal Dumping (5 to 500 Pounds or 5 Gallons to 100 Cubic Feet), a Class B misdemeanor under Texas Health & Safety Code (HSC) § 365.012(e). It is punishable by up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT” mean?
“ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT” stands for Illegal Dumping (5 to 500 Pounds or 5 Gallons to 100 Cubic Feet), a Class B misdemeanor under Texas HSC § 365.012(e).
Texas Health and Safety Code § 365.012 prohibits disposing of, or allowing or permitting the disposal of, litter or other solid waste at a place that is not an approved solid waste site, including a place on or within 300 feet of a public highway, on a right-of-way, on other public or private property, or into inland or coastal waters of the state. The Texas Litter Abatement Act grades the offense by the amount of material dumped. Under subsection (e), the offense is a Class B misdemeanor when the waste weighs more than five pounds but less than 500 pounds, or has a volume of more than five gallons but less than 100 cubic feet. Smaller amounts are a fine-only citation, while larger amounts and dumping for a commercial purpose are graded more severely under other subsections.
What usually happens to a ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT charge?
53% ended without a conviction, 15% in deferred adjudication and 32% in a conviction.
How 34 resolved ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 8 counties (Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Denton, FortBend, Galveston, Hays, Williamson):
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (0) covers waived counts, bond forfeitures, transfers and unrecorded outcomes. Bexar County records disposition dates but not outcomes, so it counts toward time-to-disposition only. Tarrant County criminal records are not in this dataset.
How long does a ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT case take to resolve?
Typically about 8 months: half of resolved cases closed within 232 days of filing.
Across 34 resolved ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 232 days. The middle half took between 85 and 497 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT cases end?
Individual cases from the public court record, with the disposition and sentence text exactly as the clerk entered it. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Ended without a conviction
Deferred adjudication
Ended in a conviction
What is the punishment for Illegal Dumping (5 to 500 Pounds or 5 Gallons to 100 Cubic Feet) in Texas?
Up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class B misdemeanor | Up to 180 days in county jail | Fine up to $2,000 | Penal Code § 12.22 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT in Texas?
The median bail is $1,500, and 23% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 683 Texas bail settings for this charge (3 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $1,500 (middle half: $750 – $3,000). 23% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 16 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (411 records), the median was $1,000 and 34% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 150 | $500 | $500 – $1,000 | 27% | 1% |
| Harris | 54 | $154 | $101 – $3,802 | 89% | 0% |
| Travis | 44 | $3,000 | $2,625 – $5,000 | 11% | 20% |
Showing the 3 counties with the most records; use the selector for any county with at least 30. Per-charge bond settings on original magistrations, from Texas OCA bail reporting under SB 6. Bail is set case by case — these are statistics, not a prediction.
Charged with ILLEGAL DUMPING >5LBS<500LBS OR >5GAL<100CFT?
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Find a Defense AttorneyBail data: Texas Office of Court Administration magistration reports (SB 6), Apr 2022 – Jun 2025. Court outcomes: county district and county clerk records. Statistics describe past cases and are not legal advice; every case is decided on its own facts.