Trash & Recycling in Carrollton, TX (2026)
9 verified trash & recycling rules for Carrollton, Texas, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Carrollton residents can't just pile trash in the yard: § 50.16 bars letting refuse accumulate on a property outside an approved container, and § 50.17 makes it a separate offense to dump refuse into a neighbor's cart without permission. Both rules sit in chapter 50's residential collection subchapter, adopted under Ordinance 4272 on August 19, 2025, and back up the container and placement requirements the rest of the chapter sets.
Carrollton Trash Container Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances §§ 50.16, 50.17
§ 50.16. Accumulation of refuse. No owner, lessee, or occupant of any residence shall permit the accumulation of any refuse on his premises, except in approved containers. ... § 50.17. Placing refuse in another's container. A person commits an offense if he places refuse in any approved container which he neither is assigned, owns nor leases, when he does not have the permission of the owner or...
Bin Placement Rules
Carrollton residents may set carts and bulk items out no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before collection and must have them at the curb by 6:30 a.m. on collection day, per § 50.24. Everything has to sit within three feet of the curb or alley line, three feet clear of meters, mailboxes and fences, and under 14 feet of overhead clearance, or the crew leaves it.
Carrollton Trash Cart Placement And Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances § 50.24
(A) Residential waste shall be placed within three feet of the curbline or alley line, as designated by the city, and at least three feet from any structure including but not limited to: mailboxes, trees, gas meters, water meters, parked vehicles, screening walls and fences, or other similar structures. ... (D) Residential waste shall be placed at the location designated by the city for collect...
Bulk Item Disposal
Carrollton curb-collects bulk items and brush on a city-set schedule under § 50.21, but caps each category at three cubic yards per pickup. Brush must be cut to four feet or shorter, and bulky items need three feet of clearance from water and gas meters plus 14 feet of overhead clearance. Tires, railroad ties and stone or concrete cannot go out with bulk waste at all.
Carrollton Bulk And Brush Waste Rules
Some RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances § 50.21
(B) Brush shall be cut to a length not to exceed four feet and must be placed at the front curb adjacent to the residence of origin in a total amount not to exceed three cubic yards. (C) Bulk shall be placed in an amount not to exceed three cubic yards. ... (E) Bulk waste shall be collected from the front curb adjacent to the residence of origin or other approved location and shall be placed in...
Recycling Requirements
Carrollton collects recycling only from the plastic cart the city issues, and § 50.19 of the General Code caps every 95-gallon residential or recycling container at 85 pounds. Anything set outside or balanced on top of the cart gets left behind, and lids must stay closed except while the truck is loading, under the rule adopted with Ordinance 4272 on August 19, 2025.
Carrollton Curbside Recycling Container Rules
Some RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances § 50.19
(A) The city will collect refuse from residences only in city-approved containers. (B) All residential refuse must be securely tied and bagged inside a residential container. (C) Lids to all residential containers shall be kept closed at all times unless being loaded or unloaded. (D) Waste placed outside or on top of a residential or recycling container will not be collected. (E) Maximum weight...
Illegal Dumping
It is unlawful under § 50.02 of Carrollton's General Code to place, throw or dump garbage, refuse, rubbish or yard waste anywhere on public or private property in the city except inside an approved can or receptacle. Chapter 50 is classified as a public health and sanitation chapter, so a violation carries a fine up to $2,000 per offense under the citywide penalty schedule.
Carrollton Illegal Dumping Ban
Heavy RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances § 50.02
It shall be unlawful for any person to place, throw, or otherwise deposit any garbage, refuse, rubbish, or yard waste on any lot or parcel of land or on any street, alley, sidewalk, or other place in the city, except in a can or receptacle meeting the requirements of this chapter.
Yard Waste Collection
Carrollton collects bagged yard waste only when it is placed in an approved residential container or bag at the front curb. Brush must be cut to 4 feet or less and capped at three cubic yards per set-out, per City Code Chapter 50.
Carrollton Yard Waste and Brush Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances §§ 50.20, 50.21(B)
§ 50.20. Collection of yard waste. The city will only collect yard waste that is bagged and placed in an approved residential container or bag placed at the front curb adjacent to the residence of origin for collection or other approved location. ... § 50.21. Collection of bulk and brush waste. (B) Brush shall be cut to a length not to exceed four feet and must be placed at the front curb adjac...
Dumpster Rules
Carrollton's general code bars placing a commercial dumpster where it blocks a street or alley right-of-way, drainage ditch, intersection sight triangle, fire lane, storm drain or utility meters. Every commercial container must also be screened per the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, kept closed except while loading, and emptied at least once a week under Code of Ordinances Chapter 50, Subchapter III.
Carrollton Commercial Dumpster Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances §§ 50.43, 50.49
§ 50.43. Placement of commercial containers. A commercial container shall not be located so that it blocks any of the following: (A) A road or street right-of-way. (B) A drainage ditch. (C) A sight triangle at an intersection. (D) An alleyway. (E) A fire lane. (F) A storm drain. (G) Utility meters. (Ordinance 4272 adopted 8/19/2025) § 50.49. Screening of commercial containers. A commerci...
Collection Schedule
Carrollton's collection service is exclusive: § 50.15 makes it unlawful for anyone but the city to collect or remove refuse or recyclable material from a residence, and § 50.26 leaves the actual pickup day and frequency to a schedule the city sets and can change. Residents cannot hire a private hauler for routine household trash or recycling.
Carrollton Mandatory Trash Collection Service
Significant RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances §§ 50.15, 50.26
§ 50.15. Unlawful collection or removal of refuse or recyclable material; residential. It shall be unlawful for any person other than the city to collect or remove any refuse or recyclable material from any residence in the city. It is a defense to prosecution under this section if the person collected or removed refuse that the city does not collect or is prohibited by law to haul. ... § 50.26...
Recycling Rules
Carrollton's trash and recycling carts stay city property under § 50.29, and marking, painting or breaking one is a criminal offense, not just a fee matter. Residents and tenants must keep their containers clean and sanitary, and if damage traces to negligence or misuse the City Manager can bill the repair or replacement cost to the utility customer, landlord or property owner.
Carrollton Recycling Container Care Rules
Some RestrictionsCarrollton, TX Code of Ordinances § 50.29
(A) All approved residential containers shall remain the property of the city. (B) A person commits an offense if such person marks, paints, bums, breaks, or otherwise damages a residential container or recycling container. (C) Residential containers shall not be removed from a residence by any person except where designated by the City Manager. (D) It is the responsibility of the owner and/or ...
Looking for Dallas County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Carrollton city rules.
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