Vancouver requires residents to place garbage and recycling carts at the curb no earlier than 12 hours before collection and remove them within 12 hours after pickup. Multi-family properties must screen outdoor bin areas from public view with a sight-obscuring fence, wall, or hedge.
VMC § 6.12.110 mandates that all occupied residential and commercial properties maintain active garbage and recycling service. Carts must be placed within five feet of the curb or street edge and may not be set out more than 12 hours before — or left out more than 12 hours after — the scheduled pickup. Lids must be properly closed and carts kept clean inside and out. Under VMC § 20.970.040, any solid waste or recycling area visible from a public street or adjacent residential property must be screened by a solid wood fence, masonry wall, or evergreen hedge; exceptions apply to single-family and duplex dwellings. Screening enclosures for multi-family or commercial use must also include a pedestrian access
Code compliance officers may issue notices of violation and civil penalties for non-compliance; persistent violations can escalate to abatement proceedings under VMC Title 22.
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver prohibits leaving any vehicle parked on a public street for more than 24 consecutive hours. Officers attach a notification sticker; if the vehicle ...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver's Municipal Code Chapter 20.912 governs all fences, walls, and retaining walls citywide. Residential fences have tiered height limits by yard locat...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver has no dedicated local ordinance banning wildlife feeding. Washington state law prohibits feeding large wild carnivores and, since May 2025, feedin...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver allows hens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and similar domestic animals in all zoning districts for hobby use with no minimum lot size. Roosters, turkeys,...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver's Land Use and Development Code (VMC Chapter 20.925) encourages but does not universally mandate native plants. For development projects, native an...
Vancouver, WA
Vancouver allows residential lawn ornaments and yard art without permits provided they do not exceed the 8-foot residential accessory-structure height standa...
See how Vancouver's trash bin storage rules stack up against other locations.
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