Billings, MT Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Sec. 21-211(g) of the Billings code sets the timing window. Solid waste and yard waste carts can be placed for collection within the sidewalk, street right-of-way, or alley the night before and on the day of solid waste collection only, and a cart cannot obstruct the sidewalk, street right-of-way, or alley it sits in. By the end of the designated collection day the cart has to be removed from the street right-of-way, and for the remainder of the week it must be stored off the street right-of-way. A cart left out is exposed to damage, and the code lets the city charge the customer for that damage.

Sec. 21-211(d) controls spacing at the curb. Customers keep the area around carts and containers clean and maintain a minimum clearance of four (4) feet around each cart or container. Public works will not pick up carts and containers that do not have appropriate clearance, so a cart wedged against a parked car, a fence, or a second cart stays uncollected until it is moved.

Sec. 21-210 covers storage between collection days. Underground cart and container storage is not permitted. Where collection is made from the street, carts and containers cannot sit close to the curb area except on collection days. Residential carts stored in an alley go adjacent to the owner's property on the collection side of the alley. Commercial properties must provide suitable facilities for container storage that protect against the accidental dispersal of solid waste about the property or the alleys and streets of the city.

These provisions sit in Article 21-200 of Chapter 21, which Ord. No. 26-5935 adopted on August 24, 2026, repealing and replacing the former article. Residents whose carts cannot be reached from the curb, sidewalk, or alley pay for the extra effort under Sec. 21-239, covered in the FAQ below.