Trash & Recycling in Mobile County, AL (2026)
6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Mobile County, Alabama.
Verified from official government sources
Bin Placement Rules
Section 45-49-252.07 requires solid waste to be stored on the property in vector-resistant, water-tight containers that won't overflow, and Section 45-49-252.14(g) sets the curb window: containers cannot go out before 5:00 p.m. the day before pickup and must come back in by 7:30 p.m. on collection day.
Mobile County Garbage Cart Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsAla. Code §§ 45-49-252.07(a)-(d), 45-49-252.14(f)-(g) (Act 81-450)
(a) The property owner or occupant shall store solid waste on his or her premises or property or shall require it to be stored or handled in such a manner as to prevent the propagation, or harborage of rats or arthropod vectors or the creation of a sanitary nuisance. (b) All garbage and putrescible matter or mixed garbage and rubbish shall be stored in containers which are nonabsorbent, water-t...
Bulk Item Disposal
Furniture, trees, sod, lumber and other bulky items that don't count as ordinary garbage or rubbish are handled as special pickups under Section 45-49-252.06(a)(2)e, negotiated directly between the resident and the county's franchised collector rather than covered by the standard collection fee.
Mobile County Bulk Waste Pickup Rules
Some RestrictionsAla. Code § 45-49-252.06(a)(2)e. (Act 81-450)
e. Special services such as backdoor collection, below ground collection, removal of any refuse other than residential waste as defined herein, or additional pickups not provided for in this part shall be subject to negotiations between the collector and the owner or occupant of the premises. Requests for pickup of bulky waste such as building materials, furniture, trees, sod, lumber, and other...
Illegal Dumping
Dumping refuse in a street, ditch, lake or private property you don't control is banned under Section 45-49-252.14(d), a Class C misdemeanor, while the county's Junk Control Ordinance separately fines anyone who lets junk, litter or rubbish pile up on their own property for more than 14 days $150 a day, up to $5,000.
Mobile County Illegal Dumping Penalties
Heavy RestrictionsAla. Code § 45-49-252.14(d) (Act 81-450); Mobile County Junk Control Ordinance §§ 3, 5
(d) No person shall place any refuse in any street, alley, or other public place, or upon private property, whether owned by such person or not, except if it be in proper containers for storage and collection. No person shall throw or deposit refuse in any street, ditch, lake, stream, or other body of water. ... SECTION 3. Control of Junk, Litter and Rubbish It shall be a violation of this Ordi...
Yard Waste Collection
In unincorporated Mobile County, yard trash counts as rubbish and gets picked up weekly, but Section 45-49-252.06 caps curbside rubbish pickup at one cubic yard per week per residence. The county code defines yard trash as tree and shrub trimmings, grass clippings and palm fronds, and anything beyond that cap needs a special arrangement.
Mobile County Yard Waste Collection Rules
Some RestrictionsAla. Code §§ 45-49-252(52), 45-49-252.06(a)(2)b. (Act 81-450)
(52) YARD TRASH. Vegetative matter resulting from landscaping maintenance such as trees and shrub trimmings, grass clippings, and palm fronds. ... b. The collector shall be required to pick up all garbage and rubbish not in excess of three 30-gallon receptacles generated by a residential premises, provided same is placed in a proper place. The collector shall also be required to pick up rubbish...
Dumpster Rules
Section 45-49-252.07(f) requires mechanically serviced bulk containers, the roll-off dumpsters used at commercial and multi-unit sites, to sit on firm, level ground or a concrete pad where the collection truck can reach them, and subsection (e) bans building new stationary storage bins onto any building.
Mobile County Dumpster Placement Rules
Significant RestrictionsAla. Code § 45-49-252.07(e)-(f) (Act 81-450)
(e) External stationary storage bins for putrescible solid waste shall be prohibited from being built or added on to existing or new buildings. New installations of underground receptacles shall be prohibited. Existing receptacles may continue in use until they become impractical to repair. (f) Mechanically serviced containers (bulk containers) shall be designed or equipped so as to prevent spi...
Collection Schedule
Only a county-franchised, permitted hauler may collect residential solid waste in unincorporated Mobile County, and Section 45-49-252.06 sets the minimum service: general household waste at least twice a week, rubbish at least once a week, with holiday pickups rescheduled only with county approval and five days' newspaper notice.
Mobile County Trash Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsAla. Code § 45-49-252.06(a)(1)-(2)a. (Act 81-450)
(a)(1) Only county franchised collectors possessing valid permits shall engage in the business of providing solid waste management services to residential property within the county. Fees for such service shall be established by resolution or ordinance of the Mobile County Commission, consistent with the provisions of franchise agreements. ... (2) Franchised collectors shall provide service as ...
Trash & Recycling by City in Mobile County
1 cities in Mobile County have their own trash & recycling rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Mobile County ordinances
See every category we cover for Mobile County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Mobile County Ordinance Hub →