Trash & Recycling in Black Hawk County, IA (2026)
3 rules for unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa.
Verified from official government sources
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Anyone who collects and hauls garbage, refuse, or yard waste for a fee anywhere in Black Hawk County, including inside the cities, must first get an annual permit from the County Health Department and pass a vehicle inspection. Applications and fees are due by May 1st each year.
Trash Hauler Permit Rules, Black Hawk County IA
Some RestrictionsBlack Hawk County Code § 8.20.040
No commercial trash hauler shall engage in the collection and hauling of garbage, solid waste, appliances, commercial solid waste, construction and demolition waste, residential solid waste, refuse, or yard waste within Black Hawk County without first obtaining a permit from the Health Department. The permit shall be issued when the equipment for hauling said garbage, refuse, or yard waste meet...
Illegal Dumping
Scattering refuse or dumping trash on streets, private property, or into any stream in unincorporated Black Hawk County is banned outright. Violations run through the county infraction and simple misdemeanor penalty tracks, with civil fines up to $750 per offense and each day a separate violation.
Illegal Dumping Penalties, Black Hawk County IA
Significant RestrictionsBlack Hawk County Code § 8.05.070
It shall be unlawful for any person to: A. Scatter refuse about or litter any public or private street, road, or highway, area, or place; B. Cast, throw, place, sweep or deposit anywhere within the County any refuse or trash in such a manner that it may be carried or deposited by the elements upon any street, road, sidewalk, alley, sewer, parkway, or other public place or into any occupied or u...
Yard Waste Collection
In unincorporated Black Hawk County, Iowa, owners and occupants must keep yard waste separated from garbage and refuse and dispose of it only in areas the County designates. Dumping yard waste anywhere else, including at unauthorized sites, is a chapter violation carrying county-infraction penalties.
Yard Waste Rules, Black Hawk County IA
Some RestrictionsBlack Hawk County Code § 8.05.040
All yard waste shall be separated from all other garbage and refuse accumulated on the premises by the owner or occupant and disposed of as hereinafter provided. ... It shall be a violation of this chapter to deposit any garbage, refuse, hazardous materials, or yard waste in any location within Black Hawk County unless deposited as provided by County ordinance, or state or federal law.
All Black Hawk County ordinances
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