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Des Moines, IA Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Restricted hours
7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Buffer zone
Within 150 feet of residential zoning
Enforced by
Community development and police departments
Penalty
Simple misdemeanor or municipal infraction
Exempt
Schools, hospitals; city manager may waive

Summary

Des Moines bars garbage trucks and other solid-waste collection vehicles from picking up or emptying dumpsters within 150 feet of a residential zone between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., protecting nearby homes from early-morning collection noise.

No person operating or in control of a garbage truck or other motor vehicle engaged in the business of solid waste collection, shall use such vehicle to pick up or empty a dumpster or other container used for the collection or storage of solid at any location in, or within 150 feet of, a zoning district or portion of a PUD district that includes a residential use, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following morning, subject to the following:(1)Trash pickup at elementary and secondary schools and hospitals is exempt from this requirement.(2)The city manager or the city manager's designee may grant an exception to this limitation on the timing of trash pickup where such exception is necessary to avoid an unreasonable risk of harm created by the unusual circumstances of the site. Any such exception may be subject to reasonable conditions imposed to minimize the detrimental impact of granting such exception, and shall be subject to reconsideration in the event of changed circumstances. (O.14,746, 14,752, 14,976, 15,969)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).

Full Breakdown

Section 42-259(e) of the Des Moines Municipal Code prohibits anyone operating a garbage truck or other vehicle engaged in solid waste collection from picking up or emptying a dumpster or other waste container inside, or within 150 feet of, any zoning district or PUD district that includes residential use, between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Trash pickup at elementary and secondary schools and hospitals is exempt. The city manager or a designee may grant a one-off exception where the timing restriction would create an unreasonable risk of harm from unusual site conditions, subject to conditions and later reconsideration.

Violations & Fines

Violating the collection-hours limit is a simple misdemeanor or municipal infraction, punishable by a criminal or civil penalty under Section 1-15, enforced by community development and police.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a trash truck empty a dumpster near my house at 5 a.m. in Des Moines?
No. Section 42-259(e) bars solid-waste collection vehicles from picking up or emptying dumpsters within 150 feet of a residential zone between 7:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., so a 5 a.m. pickup violates the ordinance.
Does the noise curfew apply to school or hospital trash pickup?
No. Elementary and secondary schools and hospitals are specifically exempt from the 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. collection-hours restriction under Section 42-259(e)(1).
What about UPS or Amazon delivery trucks idling in my neighborhood?
Those trucks are exempt from the separate 20-minute idling limit in Section 42-259(a) whenever the engine must keep running to load or unload cargo.

Sources & Official References

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