Birmingham, AL Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 4-3-6
- Earliest set-out
- 6:00 p.m. day before pickup
- Latest take-in
- 6:00 p.m. on collection day
- Overnight routes
- Can't sit out 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Who's responsible
- Whoever is in charge of the premises
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 6 months jail
Summary
Birmingham residents and businesses can't set garbage cans, bags or dumpsters out on the sidewalk any earlier than 6 p.m. the day before pickup, and must bring them back in by 6 p.m. on collection day. City Code § 4-3-6 also covers late-night routes, adding a separate daytime removal window for collections made between 5 p.m. and 3 a.m.
It shall be unlawful for any person in charge or control of any dwelling, hotel, restaurant, delicatessen or store where garbage, rubbish or any other material is placed in a garbage can, rubbish can or special garbage and rubbish container, paper bag or plastic bag, to permit any such can or container or bag to be placed out for collection in or on a sidewalk area earlier than 6:00 p.m. of the day before regular city garbage or trash collection service is to be rendered or to permit a can or container to remain in or on any sidewalk area after 6:00 p.m. on the day the service is rendered; provided that where the city garbage or trash collection is regularly made after 5:00 p.m. of one day and before 3:00 a.m. of the following day, that person shall not permit any can or container to remain in or on any sidewalk area between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 4-3-6 sets exact clock times for putting containers out and bringing them back in. day-before mark. The rule applies to whoever is 'in charge or control' of the dwelling, hotel, restaurant, delicatessen or store generating the waste, not just the property owner, so tenants and managers share the duty. It works alongside § 4-3-7, which separately makes it unlawful for anyone but the can's owner or a city collection employee to open, search through or remove items from a can once it's out for pickup, and § 4-3-5, which requires larger properties needing a dumpster to keep the surrounding area clean rather than letting containers sit out indefinitely. Section 4-3-6 traces unchanged to Code 1964, § 24-6.
Violations & Fines
Setting a can out before 6 p.m. the day before pickup, or leaving it on the sidewalk past 6 p.m. on collection day (or past 5 p.m. under the overnight-route window), is unlawful under § 4-3-6 and punished under the general penalty in § 1-1-6: a fine up to $500.00, up to six months in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my garbage can out in Birmingham?
When do I have to bring the can back in?
Who is responsible if the can is left out too long?
Can someone else go through my trash can once it's out?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Birmingham
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jefferson County handle bin placement rules.