Grease trap fines and permit fees by city
By Stew Israil, GreaseTrapRules · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Every amount below is quoted exactly from a city, utility or municipal-code source; the right-hand column links to it. We don't estimate or average fines. If a city isn't listed, the sources we checked didn't publish an amount. That doesn't mean there's no penalty.
Fines and penalties (12 cities)
| City | Source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Arlington Heights, IL | “Village Code Sec. 22-701: $5 to $750 per offense; each day a violation continues is a separate offense.” | cms2.revize.com library.municode.com mwrd.org ilga.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Aurora, IL | “Falsification of maintenance records: $1000 6.3 Appeal of Grease Policy Any Food Service Establishment (FSE) may appeal a fine that has been assessed for failure to comply with the Grease Control Policy.” | foxmetro.org checked 2026-10-17 |
| Elk Grove Village, IL | “Village Code 7-5-6: $1,000 to $10,000 per offense, each day a separate offense, plus cleanup costs.” | codelibrary.amlegal.com mwrd.org ilga.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Naperville, IL | “Naperville Code 4-2-6: $200 to $500 per offense for violations of the grease/refuse chapter; each day is a separate offense.” | library.municode.com ilga.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Oak Lawn, IL | “Disposing of grease in the Village's sewer system can bring a fine of up to $1,000, and it is reported to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, which may add fines (8-2B-8 C).” | codelibrary.amlegal.com checked 2026-10-17 |
| Oswego, IL | “Falsification of maintenance records: $1000 6.3 Appeal of Grease Policy Any Food Service Establishment (FSE) may appeal a fine that has been assessed for failure to comply with the Grease Control Policy.” | foxmetro.org checked 2026-10-17 |
| New York, NY | “Maximum penalty: $10,000 per day, per violation.” | codelibrary.amlegal.com codelibrary.amlegal.com checked 2026-10-17 |
| Columbus, OH | “Director's Rule 15-04 sets a minimum cost recovery charge of $2,000 per typical sewer blockage incident attributed to improper grease disposal; blockages taking more than four hours to correct can cost more.” | columbus.gov library.municode.com columbusutilities.org columbus.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Philadelphia, PA | “PWD states that violating any PWD regulation may result in a fine of up to $25,000 per day (Pretreatment Times, Vol. 30).” | water.phila.gov water.phila.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Austin, TX | “Each missed maintenance or record requirement is a separate violation. Using enzymes, bacteria or other agents to push grease through the trap can bring penalties of up to $2,000 per violation per day (§ 15-10-22(23)).” | austintexas.gov austintexas.gov austintexas.gov checked 2026-10-18 |
| Fort Worth, TX | “Failure to properly clean and maintain a grease trap may subject the violators to penalties of up to $2,000 per violation per day.” | fortworthtexas.gov fortworthtexas.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Seattle, WA | “Penalties for non-compliance range from $250 to $5,000. Emulsifiers, enzymes and bio-additives are not allowed in interceptors (SMC 21.16.310 D).” | seattle.gov cdn.kingcounty.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
Permit and program fees (10 cities)
| City | Source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles, CA | “One-time $616 application fee and annual $428 inspection and control fee (as listed by LASAN).” | cityclerk.lacity.org sanitation.lacity.gov sanitation.lacity.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| San Diego, CA | “FEWD plan review for new, remodeled and retrofitted food facilities: the City states there are currently no fees for a FEWD plan review.” | sandiego.gov sandiego.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Washington, DC | “Beginning August 2019, DC Water will leverage a new monthly fee of $13.70 per month from food-serving establishments (FSEs) to address clogged sewer lines, sewer backups, and infrastructure damage caused by the improper discharge of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) into the sewer system.” | dcwater.com dcwater.com checked 2026-10-17 |
| Downers Grove, IL | “DGSD rate for hauled grease separator waste: $70.00 per 1,000 gallons.” | dgsd.org dgsd.org ilga.gov dgsd.org checked 2026-10-17 |
| Glenview, IL | “$100 annual Food Service License inspection renewal fee, plus an initial license fee.” | glenview.il.us ilga.gov mwrd.org gispub.mwrd.org checked 2026-10-17 |
| Orland Park, IL | “Hauler license: $150 per year (includes one vehicle), $75 per additional vehicle.” | codelibrary.amlegal.com mwrd.org ilga.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Rockford, IL | “$300 FSE permit application cost.” | fourrivers.illinois.gov fourrivers.illinois.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Springfield, IL | “Ordinance addendum lists an interceptor sampling fee of $90, discharge sampling fee of $90 and FOG analysis fee of $50.” | scwrd.org checked 2026-10-17 |
| New Orleans, LA | “Grease Trap/Interceptor Discharge Permit Fees are $100 per interceptor and/or grease trap (check or money order only) and must be submitted with the permit application.” | webwstprodstussc1.blob.core.windows.net nola.gov checked 2026-10-17 |
| Charleston, SC | “CWS grease trap fees: Application Fee $30; Inspection Fee $70; Re-inspection Fee $70.” | charlestonwater.com checked 2026-10-18 |
What a pump-out costs
Pumping prices are set by private companies and vary by trap size, access, disposal fees and how often you pump, so we don't publish a national price. Get written quotes from at least two pumping companies that serve your city and compare them for the same trap size and the same scope (full pump-out, scraping, manifest). See what drives grease trap cleaning cost.
Not legal advice. Rules and fees change; verify with your city.