Des Moines, IA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Set-out window
- 12 hrs before collection
- Pickup window
- 12 hrs after collection
- Clearance from other objects
- 3 feet
- Placement
- curb strip or approved alley
- Enforced by
- Public Works Director
Summary
Des Moines caps curbside cart set-out at 12 hours before and after your collection day, with carts placed at the street edge or alley three feet from anything else.
No person shall deposit solid waste or solid waste containers upon the parking or terrace of the street in front of premises more than 12 hours before the date designated for solid waste collection. No person shall allow solid waste containers to remain on the parking or terrace of the street in front of that person's premises for more than 12 hours after the date designated for solid waste collections.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City code section 98-54(3) controls where and when solid waste carts sit outside. Carts go on the parking/terrace strip within about 18 inches of the roadway edge, or along the alley for approved alley pickup, and three feet clear of any other object, including other containers. No cart may go out more than 12 hours before your scheduled collection day, and none may stay at the curb more than 12 hours after collection. Carts blocking a sidewalk, crosswalk, roadway or alley right-of-way are prohibited outright. The public works director enforces the division, and noncompliant placement can cost you that week's pickup under section 98-54(5). This applies inside Des Moines city limits only. West Des Moines, Urbandale, Ankeny, Clive, Windsor Heights and Pleasant Hill each run their own separate collection codes.
Violations & Fines
Cart out too early or left past the 12-hour window, or blocking a sidewalk/alley: noncompliant waste isn't collected that week (§98-54(5)); repeat blocking can also draw a public-works code citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my cart out in Des Moines?
How long can I leave the empty cart at the curb?
Can I put my cart in the alley instead of the street?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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