Costa Mesa, CA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Section 8-83(i) targets containers, bins and roll-off boxes placed on public property, such as streets or parkways, by anyone without the city permit or agreement Chapter IV requires. On a first violation, the city may impound the container 48 hours after the city or its agent observes it there. If the same owner is cited again, the impound window shrinks to 24 hours from observation, and any subsequent violation can trigger immediate confiscation with no waiting period.

Subsection (j) requires every permitted or contracted hauler to mark its containers with signage or markings identifying them as belonging to a permitted hauler. If an unmarked container is found, the city posts a notice giving the owner 48 hours to remove it or add identifying signage so the city can confirm it belongs to a permitted hauler before deciding whether to impound it.

Once a container is impounded, subsection (k) imposes a per-container impound fee, set by city council resolution, covering impound costs, disposal of any materials inside, storage and a civil citation penalty for enforcement and administration. An owner who does not pay the full impound fee within 90 days forfeits the container to the city to satisfy the fee. Subsection (l) additionally lets the city contract annually with a solid waste enterprise authorized to confiscate rolloff containers and trash bins used for illegal hauling citywide and to collect the impound fee directly, without preventing the city from separately pursuing civil, administrative or criminal remedies under the Code.