Chicago's Community Civic App

Report Illegal Dumping in Chicago

Spot a fly-tip? Photo it, pin it, submit it straight to 311. Offendr gets your report to Chicago's cleanup crews immediately — and shows you what your neighbors are already flagging.

Open Offendr How it works
Submits directly to Chicago 311
Live map of nearby reports
Community-powered
Status updates as it gets fixed

Reported and tracked in under a minute

Illegal dumping attracts more dumping. Early reporting and fast cleanup breaks the cycle. Offendr makes filing a 311 report faster than texting a friend about it.

1

Open Offendr and sign in

Quick email sign-in, then you're set. Your GPS location pins automatically when you open the report screen.

2

Take a photo of the dumped material

A clear photo helps crews locate the dump site and assess the scale. Offendr attaches it automatically to your 311 report.

3

Select "Illegal Dumping" and submit

Your report goes directly to Chicago 311 via the Open311 API. You get a service request number immediately.

4

Track it until it's cleaned up

Offendr polls 311 and updates your report status automatically — from Open to In Progress to Completed.


Your block, not just your report

Reporting an issue takes seconds. Offendr keeps you connected to everything else happening in your neighborhood — the problems, the projects, and the people fixing things.

Live incident map

See every active report near you on a live map. Check before you file — if the issue is already reported, confirm it with a tap rather than creating a duplicate. Multiple confirmations carry more weight with the city.

Always on

Community fix-it projects

Neighbors can start community projects — a block cleanup, a park restoration — and invite others to join. Projects live on the map and move from active to completed when the work is done. The civic coordination 311 can't provide.

Organize together

Local news in the feed

Real local Chicago news surfaced by proximity to what you're already looking at on the map. No algorithm optimizing for outrage — just what's happening near you from Block Club Chicago, the Tribune, NBC Chicago and more.

Stay informed

Volunteer opportunities

Local volunteer opportunities from Chicago organizations surfaced alongside neighborhood incidents. Park cleanups, community gardens, mutual aid networks. The good things happening on your block deserve the same visibility as the problems.

Give back

Local events

Community members share events pinned to the map — block parties, neighborhood meetings, local fundraisers. Your neighborhood's calendar, built by the people who actually live there.

What's on near you

Illegal dumping in Chicago: what you need to know

Illegal dumping — fly-tipping — is one of Chicago's most persistent neighborhood quality-of-life issues. Mattresses, furniture, construction debris, and bulk waste left in alleys, vacant lots, and on sidewalks costs the city millions in cleanup each year. More importantly, one dump site attracts more dumping. Early reporting and fast removal breaks that cycle before a single mattress becomes a pile.

Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation handles illegal dumping cleanup through the 311 system. Once a report is filed and verified, cleanup crews are dispatched — typically within 7 business days, though high-volume areas and large dump sites may take longer. A photo attached to your report helps crews locate the site and bring the right equipment.

If you know who dumped the material — a vehicle description, a partial plate, a company name on the debris — include it in your Offendr report notes. The city takes illegal dumping seriously and pursues fines against repeat offenders.

For recurring dump sites — an alley that keeps attracting fly-tipping — Offendr lets you start a community project to coordinate with neighbors and document the pattern. Multiple reports from the same location over time build a case for the city to install cameras or take additional enforcement action.

Beyond illegal dumping, Offendr routes reports for potholes, graffiti, abandoned vehicles, streetlight outages, and flooding — all from the same app.


Illegal dumping FAQs

Everything you need to know.

Report through the Offendr app, which submits directly to Chicago 311. Take a photo of the dump site, confirm your GPS pin, select "Illegal Dumping" and submit. You can also call 311 or visit 311.chicago.gov.
Chicago targets cleanup within 7 business days of a 311 report. Large dump sites or high-volume periods may take longer. Offendr tracks your report's status automatically so you'll know when crews are dispatched.
A clear photo is the most important element — it helps crews find the site and assess what equipment they need. If you know the type of material, the volume, or any information about who dumped it (vehicle description, partial plate), include that in your report notes.
Yes. If the same location keeps attracting dumping, file a 311 report each time and note in Offendr that it's a recurring site. You can also start a community project in Offendr to coordinate with neighbors and build documentation of the pattern.
Offendr connects directly to 311 so your reports land in the same place, but adds a live map, local news, community projects, and status tracking. It's a full Chicago 311 alternative with a community layer on top.

Your neighborhood is already on the map

Report that dump site, see what's happening nearby, and stay connected to the people keeping Chicago's alleys and streets clean.

Open Offendr