In Durham, private garbage carts may not sit on a public street or sidewalk except on your collection day, or as the solid-waste director directs. Carts must be watertight with tight covers and handles, and removed after pickup.
Durham City Code Sec. 58-130 keeps roll-out carts and other private receptacles off streets and sidewalks on non-collection days. Sec. 58-33 requires receptacles to be metal or plastic, watertight, and fitted with tight covers and strong handles, and Sec. 58-35 says garbage receptacles must be covered to keep out flies. The City's set-out guidance directs residents to place carts at the curb no later than 5 a.m. on collection day and remove empty carts within 24 hours after pickup. Damaging a City-provided cart carries its own $100 penalty plus replacement cost.
Solid-waste violations draw a remedial fee set by City Council; each day is a separate offense (Sec. 58-8). Deliberately damaging a City cart adds a $100 civil penalty plus replacement cost.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
durham-county-nc
Backyard composting is legal in Durham and the city offers a curbside food-waste program. Compost piles must be maintained so they do not harbor rodents or p...
durham-county-nc
Durham has no ordinance banning artificial turf in residential yards. It counts toward impervious-surface and lot-coverage limits under the UDO, and cannot b...
durham-county-nc
Durham lies in the Neuse River and Falls Lake watersheds, where state and UDO riparian buffer rules require a 50-foot protected buffer of native vegetation a...
durham-county-nc
Rain barrels and cisterns are legal and encouraged in Durham; no county ordinance bans collecting rooftop rainwater. Durham has historically offered subsidiz...
durham-county-nc
Durham enforces a year-round odd/even irrigation ordinance and can impose tighter water-shortage stages. As of June 2026 Durham is in Stage 2, which bans spr...
durham-county-nc
Durham declares dense weeds, vines, briars and undergrowth a public nuisance when they harbor pests or sit near buildings. Overgrowth over 12 inches high mus...
See how Durham County's trash bin storage rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.