Here’s what you need to know about the city’s ordinances related to cleanliness, littering, dumping and more. Prepared by Keep Birmingham Beautiful
Sec. 11-8-8 Premises to be kept free of garbage, weeds, inoperable motor vehicles, tires.
-Plain & Simple-
Please keep your property clean. Don’t allow junk to build up in your yard. We don’t mean just garbage, but stuff like weeds, old pieces of furniture, old tires, and cars that no longer run also can make your property look ugly. A dirty property is an offense, and you could be fined $100.00 for the first offence, $250 for the second, and $500 and/or jail for the third.
Sec. 11-3-23 Criminal Littering
-Plain & Simple-
Don’t be a litterbug. By that, we mean everything from dropping trash on the sidewalk, to throwing stuff into an open ditch or a creek. If it’s your trash, please make sure it goes into a trash can. Otherwise, you could be fined $150.
Sec. 10-9-12 Parking on roadway for certain purposes prohibited.
-Plain & Simple-
City streets are for traveling, not parking. You can’t display your vehicle for sale on the street, you can’t wash or Grease your vehicle in the street, and you can’t make repairs to your vehicle in the street, except in case of emergency. If your vehicle remains on the street for more than three days, it is considered to be abandoned and will be removed, and you could be fined up to $100.
Sec. 11-8-41 Leaving vehicle on private property prohibited; impoundment
Sec. 11-8-42 Owner of property may request impoundment
Sec. 11-8-43 Information required for removal
(See Also Code of Alabama 32-13-1 et seq.)
-Plain & Simple-
If you abandon a vehicle on another s person’s private property, it will be impounded. If you should find a lost, stolen, or abandoned vehicle on your property, you can have it removed after 10 days. To do this you will need to: 1) Pay $40 to cover removal expenses, and 2) Sign a statement detailing the number of days the vehicle was on your property, a description of the vehicle, and what you did to try to find the owner.
Sec. 4-5-23 Obstruction generally of free passage on streets and sidewalks.
-Plain & Simple-
Don’t block streets or sidewalks with stuff like cars and trash. No one likes ugly, and that is very ugly- and ILLEGAL. If you do it, you could be fined up to $35.
Sec. 4-5-27 Fences encroaching on public rights-of-way.
-Plain & Simple-
Your fence must not stick out into the street, sidewalk, alley, or any public property.
Sec. 4-5-32 Obstructing gutters or ditches.
-Plain & Simple-
Ditches, gutters, and drains that lead onto streets, public ways, and easements must be kept clear. Trash, debris and other obstructions can cause a blockage. Bag your trash and leaves, or you could be fined $50.
Sec. 4-5-39 Basketball goals on public rights-of-way prohibited.
-Plain & Simple-
You can’t put up a basketball goal n the street. The city quickly will call foul and remove it, and send the bill to you.
Sec. 4-5-5 Dropping trash, etc., from vehicles
-Plain & Simple-
Your trash is yours. If trash (or anything else) falls from your vehicle, you must stop and clean it up, or risk a $100 fine.
Sec. 12-11-26 Public ways.
-Plain & Simple-
It is illegal for junk and scrap dealers to leave junk or scrap on a public street, ally, or other public property. Those who do will be fined $50.
Sec. 7-1-74 Electric outlets, etc.
-Plain & Simple-
Any house with electricity must have proper electrical outlets, safe electrical fixtures, and an adequate electrical supply that is up to code. This helps to eliminate or avoid potential fire hazards.
Sec. 7-1-92 Floors, ceilings, etc.
-Plain & Simple-
Doors must be hung properly and kept in good working order. Your roof and gutters must be in good repair and not leak.
Sec. 7-1-95 Plumbing fixtures, etc.
-Plain & Simple-
Plumbing fixtures must be installed properly. Water and sewage waste lines and fixtures must be installed properly, and operate properly, to meet code.
Sec. 7-1-100 Maintenance of dwellings, dwelling units, and places of employment.
(See also city code section 11-8-8 Premises to be kept free….etc.)
-Plain & Simple-
All houses and businesses, whether occupied or vacant, must be maintained in proper repair. This means that all windows and doors must fit properly, that porches and steps are maintained in a safe, working condition, and that buildings are repainted whenever necessary. Properties also must be secured in a way that ensures that animals, birds and trespassers are kept out. If the owner of the property fails to maintain it, the City may make corrections to violations and assess the cost against the property.
Sec. 7-1-134 Storage, disposition, etc., of rubbish, garbage, etc.
(See also city code section 11-8-8 Premises to be kept free….etc.)
-Plain & Simple-
If you own a house or apartment building, you must ensure proper disposal of all garbage, and provide proper containers. The fine for failure to do so is $30.
Sec. 7-1-135 Extermination of insects, rodents, etc.
-Plain & Simple-
Pests bugging you? Here’s the deal. If you live in a house or rent an apartment unit, you are responsible for getting rid of rats, insects, or other pests. However, if the apartment building has rats or bugs in three or more units, or in the common parts of the apartment building, the owner of the apartment building is responsible for getting rid of them all.
Sec. 10-1-11 Parking and storage of disabled, etc., automobiles
-Plain & Simple-
Work on automobiles must be carried out away from general view and be enclosed by a fence that is at least 8 feet high.
Sec. 6-1-15. Excretion of Dogs
-Plain & Simple-
Keep Birmingham beautiful- don’t let your dogs use street, sidewalks, right-of-ways, parks, school grounds, or other people’s property as a restroom unless you’re prepared to clean up after it. When walking your dog, you should carry a wrapper, bag, container, or “pooper scooper” for disposing of what your dog leaves behind. The fine for violating this ordinance is $50.
NOTE: Vision-impaired individuals, and handlers of guide or service dogs, are exempt from this ordinance.
Sec. 6-1-71 Certain acts of cruelty enumerated.
-Plain & Simple-
Don’t be cruel; animals must not be mistreated. They must be fed, watered and sheltered properly.
Other Code Sections Of Interest
6-1-2 Wild or vicious animals
You can’t keep wild or vicious animals on your property unless they are secured that they can’t bite or attack other people.
6-1-3 Noisy animals
You can’t let your dog bark constantly so that it becomes a nuisance or annoys others.
6-1-4 Keeping swine, goats
You can’t raise pigs, goats or sheep on your property, unless properly zoned.
6-1-5 Sanitation
You must keep places where animals are kept clean, sanitary, and free of odors and flies.
6-1-14 Running at large (dogs)
[Leash Law] You can’t let your dog run at large. If you do, you could be fined $20.6-1-51 Running at large (other)
You can’t let horses or cows out on the streets or in public parks and if they are on your property they must be fenced in.
6-1-81 Dead animals
You can’t deposit a dead animal on a street, on a sidewalk or in a park or public place. The fine for violating this law is $50.
6-1-91 – 99 Corrals, pens and stables
You must keep pens, corrals and stables clean, drained and ventilated. There are distance requirements from dwellings and other buildings.
6-1-111 – 119 Birds
You can’t let chickens, ducks or geese run or fly at large. Coops and enclosures must be clean and ventilated.
6-3-34 Vessels containing water
You can’t leave tanks, barrels, cans or other containers which might collect water open so that mosquitoes can breed in them.
6-3-52 Rats
If you have a building where food, feed or grain is sold or stored, you must keep it free from rats.
7-1-57 Garbage disposal
Every house must have adequate containers for garbage. If yours does not, you could be fined $50.
7-1-99 Vacant dwelling units
You can’t live in or rent any vacant dwelling unless it is clean, sanitary, and fit to be lived in. (Running water, gas, electricity, etc.)
7-1-101 Accessory structures
Out-buildings must be safe, clean, and well maintained. Buildings may be condemned if they are dilapidated, unsanitary, unsafe or unfit for human occupancy.
7-1-171 Condemnation
7-1-173 Condemned property
You can’t live in condemned property.
4-5-8 Washing vehicles
You can’t wash cars or animals on city streets (curbside).
4-5-9 Sidewalks cleaned
The owner of property abutting a sidewalk can’t let garbage debris or refuse collect on the sidewalk. The fine for doing so is $35.
4-5-11 Unsafe sidewalks
The adjacent property owner can’t allow the sidewalk to become unsafe, broken or damaged or permit any obstruction on it or on any grass plot beside the sidewalk.
