Brownsville passed a new ordinance targeting illegal tire dumping that now requires tire shops to register with the city.

Once registered, shops will receive a license number they must write on every used or scrap tire they take in. If a tire turns up illegally dumped, the city can trace it back to the shop responsible.

The ordinance also requires shops to store tires in an enclosed space. The city said this will help eliminate mosquito breeding grounds.

"We identified tires as one of the leading objects that are being dumped out there, so the ordinance is one of the tools that are available to us because it allows us to focus and understand how many tires are being generated," Brownsville Public Health Wellness Director Art Rodriguez said.

The city will send letters to tire shops explaining the new rules. Those letters will go out between now and Oct. 1, 2026.

Anyone caught illegally dumping tires could face a $2,000 fine. The ordinance takes effect Oct. 1, 2026.