Detroit, MI Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Cart out
- No earlier than 6 p.m. day before
- Cart in
- No later than 9 p.m. collection day
- Front yard
- Prohibited between collections, § 42-2-48
- Business dumpsters
- Masonry enclosure with opaque gate required
- Enforcement
- Written notice, then blight violation citation
Summary
Detroit's Department of Public Works requires curbside Courville trash carts out no earlier than 6 p.m. the night before collection and back in by 9 p.m. on collection day, with dumpsters at businesses screened behind a masonry enclosure.
When collection service is desired, all Courville containers must be placed by the owner, lessee, agent or caretaker at the curb or designated location no earlier than 6:00 p.m. on the day prior to the scheduled solid waste collection day for access by Department of Public Works' solid waste collection trucks and shall be removed no later than 9:00 p.m. on the day of collection.(c)Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to prohibit the owner, lessee, agent, or caretaker from entering into a contract for solid waste collection services with a collector licensed under Article III of this chapter. Upon request, evidence of private solid waste collection services must be provided to the Department of Public Works. (Code 1984, § 22-2-41; Ord. No. 15-02, § 1(22-2-41), eff. 9-27-2002; Ord. No. 35-04, § 1(22-2-41), eff. 12-1-2004)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Residential structures with one to four units get a City-issued Courville cart; the owner, lessee, agent or caretaker must set it at the curb no earlier than 6 p.m. the day before pickup and pull it back in by 9 p.m. on collection day (§ 42-2-46(b), § 42-2-50). Between collections, carts can't sit in the front yard (§ 42-2-48). Commercial and industrial sites are different: refuse receptacles, compactors and dumpsters must be screened from the street and neighboring residential or commercial zoning by a masonry wall enclosure with an opaque gate at least a foot taller than the container, on a 6-inch concrete pad (§ 50-14-364); that screening rule explicitly exempts residential Courville-cart users.
Violations & Fines
Setting a cart out early, leaving it past 9 p.m., or storing it in the front yard draws a written notice from the Department of Public Works, then a blight violation citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my trash cart out in Detroit?
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Do Detroit businesses have to screen their dumpsters?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Detroit
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wayne County handle bin placement rules.