Columbia Discarding refuse and trash ordinance (§ 17-66)
Chapter 17: Parks and Recreation · Article IV. Conduct Regulations
In short: You can't dump or leave trash in a city park or in waters in or next to it. Put it in the provided trash cans, or if there are none, take it with you and dispose of it elsewhere.
Our plain-English summary, not the official text or legal advice. The ordinance below is what counts.
It shall be unlawful for any person in a park to bring or have brought in or to dump, deposit or leave any bottles, broken glass, ashes, paper, boxes, cans, dirt, rubbish, waste, garbage, or refuse, or other trash on park property. No such refuse or trash shall be placed in any waters in or contiguous to any park, or left anywhere on the grounds thereof, but shall be placed in the proper receptacles where these are provided; where receptacles are not so provided, all such rubbish or waste shall be carried away from the park by the person responsible for its presence, and properly disposed of elsewhere.
Official source: City of Columbia official Code of Ordinances (online): look up Sec. 17-66
Text from Supplement 139 (September 3, 2026).
Last checked November 1, 2026. The city's official copy controls; this page is a reading copy, not legal advice.