Dublin, CA Landscaping Rules: Composting (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Dublin Municipal Code Ch. 5.32
- Backyard composting
- Exempt from hauler franchise
- Community composting cap
- 100 cubic yards / 750 sq ft
- State cross-reference
- 14 CCR § 17855(a)(4)
- Franchise violation penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 6 months jail
Summary
Dublin, California exempts residents from its exclusive trash-hauling franchise when they compost their own organic waste on-site, including standard backyard composting and on-site anaerobic digestion, under Dublin Municipal Code Section 5.32.130(B)(13). A larger 'community composting' operation is capped at 100 cubic yards and 750 square feet of feedstock and compost on site at any time under Section 5.32.040.
Source-separated organic waste composted or otherwise legally managed at the site where it is generated (e.g., backyard composting, on-site anaerobic digestion) or at a community composting site.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2-26, passed March 3, 2026).
Full Breakdown
130(B) lists activities exempt from that franchise requirement. , backyard composting, on-site anaerobic digestion) or at a community composting site,' so a Dublin homeowner who composts kitchen scraps and yard trimmings in their own backyard does not need a hauler contract or city permit for that material. 040 defines 'community composting' as any activity composting green material, agricultural material, food material and vegetative food material where the total feedstock and finished compost on site at any one time does not exceed one hundred cubic yards and seven hundred fifty square feet, tracking the state cap in 14 California Code of Regulations Section 17855(a)(4).
091, residents who compost on-site avoid the citywide mandate to subscribe to organic waste pickup for that portion of their waste stream, though they still need a solid waste and recycling subscription.
Violations & Fines
Composting handled on your own property under the Section 5.32.130(B)(13) exemption carries no separate penalty because it is excluded from the franchise and collection requirements. Running a composting operation that exceeds the 100 cubic yard or 750 square foot community-composting cap, or that otherwise functions as an unpermitted collection or processing business, can instead trigger the franchise-violation penalties in Section 5.32.360, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I compost my own food scraps and yard waste at home in Dublin?
Is there a size limit on composting in Dublin?
Do I still need trash service if I compost at home?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dublin
California rules heatmap·Compare Dublin to another location·View the California landscaping rules overview
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Composting in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle composting.