Decatur, GA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Distance from curb
- 150 feet max (behind front building line)
- Curb-out time
- By 7:30 a.m., not before 5 p.m. prior day
- Container return
- By midnight on collection day
- Won't empty if
- Locked gate, garage, loose dog, blocked access
- Governing section
- Decatur Code of Ordinances § 82-34(c),(e),(f)
Summary
Decatur, Georgia tells residents exactly where garbage carts must sit between pickups and exactly when they can hit the curb. Containers stay behind the front building line and within 150 feet of the street, and can't go to the curb before 5 p.m. the day before collection.
(c)Conditions for removal of residential units on a scheduled basis. City collectors will remove household garbage from residential units on a scheduled basis under the following conditions:(1)Garbage containers shall be located behind the front building line and no more than 150 feet from the curb or street edge in front of the building, except that, in the case of existing units which are sited at a greater distance, garbage containers shall be placed no farther from the curb or street edge than the rear building line. ... (e)Timing for placement of prepared refuse. The owner or occupant shall place the approved refuse and recyclables containers at the curb at or before 7:30 a.m. or prior to the arrival of the collectors. Placement of refuse and recyclables shall not be made before 5:00 p.m. on the day prior to collection day. ... (f)Removal of emptied containers. The owner or occupant shall remove all refuse and recyclables containers from the curb to the storage location not later than 12:00 midnight on the day the contents are collected.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Section 82-34(c)(1) of the Decatur Code of Ordinances requires garbage containers to be located behind the front building line and no more than 150 feet from the curb or street edge, except that units originally sited farther back may keep containers no farther out than the rear building line. Section 82-34(c)(2) adds that containers will not be emptied if they sit inside a garage or carport, behind a locked fenced gate, in a yard with a loose or threatening dog, or somewhere a collection vehicle cannot reach because of overgrown brush, trash or parked cars.
the day prior to collection. Section 82-34(d) confirms that city collectors remove prepared residential trash from the curbside only, and Section 82-34(f) requires the owner or occupant to pull emptied containers back to their storage location by midnight on the day of collection, so carts are not left curbside as a standing obstruction. These placement and timing rules sit within Article II of Chapter 82, enforced by the director of sanitation and sanitation inspectors under Section 82-2.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 82's placement or timing rules is enforced under the general chapter penalty, Section 82-3, incorporating Section 1-12: a fine up to $1,000.00, up to six months' imprisonment, or both, with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. Section 82-34(c)(2) also lets the city simply skip emptying an inaccessible or improperly placed container until the condition is corrected.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my trash cart out in Decatur, GA?
Where does my garbage container have to be stored between pickups?
Will the city skip my trash if the can is behind a locked gate?
Sources & Official References
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