Trash & Recycling in Ada County, ID (2026)
8 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Ada County, Idaho.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Ada County Code 5-2-4-1 requires every reachable residential property in the unincorporated county to receive, and pay for, the contracted solid waste collection service, with built-in exemptions for inaccessible homes, seniors' discounts, temporary suspensions and financial hardship.
Mandatory Trash Pickup Rules in Ada County
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 5-2-4-1
A. Service: To maintain the public health, safety and aesthetics of the county, all owners of residential premises in unincorporated Ada County that can be served by the county's solid waste collection contractor shall be provided solid waste collection services, and shall be required to pay for such services pursuant to Idaho Code sections 31-4404, 63-902(10), 31-870(1) and (2) as they are ame...
Bin Placement Rules
Ada County Code 5-2-4-3 sets the physical rules for curbside carts: containers must sit within four feet of the street, go out no earlier than the evening before collection and no later than 7:00 a.m. on pickup day, and come back off the curb by 7:00 p.m. that evening.
Ada County Trash Cart Placement and Set-Out Times
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 5-2-4-3(F)-(G)
F. All sanitary containers shall be made available for conveyance to contractor's vehicles by placement no more than four feet (4') from the street, or as close as reasonably possible to the street, without obstructing parking areas, exit/entrances or pedestrian traffic. In cases where the contractor does not have reasonable access to the sanitary container, the containers may be kept in a plac...
Bulk Item Disposal
Residents can self-haul bulky items to the Ada County Landfill (Hidden Hollow), 10th & Fairview area at 200 W. Front St. billing. General trash costs a $15 minimum (up to 1,035 lbs) or $33/ton. Only Ada County-generated waste is accepted, and users need a valid driver's license.
Bulk Waste and Landfill Disposal in Ada County
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 5-2-5-1
Only waste generated in Ada County or at the Bogus Basin Recreation Area may be deposited at county operated disposal sites; provided, however, that the board, in its sole discretion, may consider and may agree to accept waste generated outside of Ada County or the Bogus Basin Recreational Area (out of county waste) upon a written request which sets forth the circumstances for the request. The ...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping trash on public or private land without authorization is illegal statewide under Idaho Code 18-7031, carrying a $150 first-offense fine that escalates to a misdemeanor with jail for repeat offenders. Report illegal dumpsites to the Ada County Landfill at (208) 577-4725.
Illegal Dumping Laws in Ada County
Some RestrictionsIdaho Code 18-7031
It shall constitute an infraction for any person, natural or artificial, to deposit upon any public or private property within this state any debris, paper, litter, glass bottles, glass, nails, tacks, hooks, hoops, cans, barbed wire, boards, trash, garbage, lighted material or other waste substances on any place not authorized by any county, city, village or the owner of such property...
Yard Waste Collection
Ada County Code 5-2-4-3(D) requires branches, tree trimmings, limbs, hedge cuttings and other clean wood waste too big for a sanitary container to be bundled: no bundle may weigh more than sixty pounds, run longer than four feet, or measure over eighteen inches across.
Yard Waste Bundling Rules in Ada County
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 5-2-4-3(D)
D. Branches, tree trimmings, limbs, hedge cuttings and other clean wood waste exceeding the capacity of approved sanitary containers shall be tied into bundles not heavier than sixty (60) pounds, nor more than four feet (4') in length and eighteen inches (18") in diameter.
Dumpster Rules
Ada County Code 8-3-7(E)(3) requires trash dumpsters on projects subject to master site plan review to be fenced or enclosed with a sight-obscuring screen between six and ten feet tall. One side may stay open only if the dumpster still cannot be seen from the street or a neighboring property, and chain-link fencing never counts as an acceptable screening material.
Dumpster Screening Rules in Ada County
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 8-3-7(E)(1), (E)(3)
E. General Screening Standards: 1. Screening Elements: For the purposes of this Section, screening elements shall include, but not be limited to, deciduous trees (shade and ornamental), evergreen trees, berms, solid fences, walls, and sound walls. Cyclone or chain link fencing (with or without slats) shall not be deemed a screening material. ... 3. Trash Dumpsters: Trash dumpsters shall ...
Collection Schedule
Ada County Code 5-2-8-2(D) requires the county's contracted hauler to collect solid waste from every residential customer at least once a week, following streets, alleys and walkways and returning each cart to its place with the lid back on after emptying it.
Ada County Weekly Trash Collection Requirement
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 5-2-8-2(D)
D. The contractor shall collect solid waste from each residential customer at least once each week. The contractor shall follow the traveled portion of the streets, alleys and roadways, or sidewalks or walkways while on private property, and shall take care in loading solid waste so that none of the material to be collected is left upon private property or the streets, alleys or roadways. The c...
Recycling Rules
Ada County Code 5-2-10(L) makes it illegal to take recyclable material out of a bin set out under the county's contracted residential recycling program without permission from the person who put it there, the hauling contractor, or the solid waste management division. The rule targets scavenging from curbside bins across unincorporated Ada County neighborhoods.
Ada County Bans Diverting Recycling Bin Contents
Some RestrictionsAda County Code 5-2-10(L)
L. No person may divert to personal use any recyclable material placed in a container as part of the residential recycling program without the consent of the generator of such recyclable material, the contractor, or the solid waste management division, and no person may divert to commercial use any recyclable material placed in a sanitary container as part of a recycling program without the con...
Trash & Recycling by City in Ada County
1 cities in Ada County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Ada County ordinances
See every category we cover for Ada County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Ada County Ordinance Hub →