Des Moines, IA Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (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)
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?
Does the noise curfew apply to school or hospital trash pickup?
What about UPS or Amazon delivery trucks idling in my neighborhood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
Compare Des Moines to another location·View the Iowa noise from specific sources overview
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