Huntsville, AL Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Placement distance
- Within 3 feet of curb
- Earliest set-out
- Sundown the day before pickup
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100 or 10 days jail
- Enforcing division
- City Sanitation Division
- Container ownership
- City-owned, assigned to address
Summary
Huntsville residents must set their city-issued garbage cart within three feet of the curb, facing the right way with the lid closed, and can't roll it out before sundown the night before pickup.
On scheduled collection days, collection containers shall be placed within three feet of the street curb or edge of the road, or in a location designated by the sanitation division. All containers must be placed so as to face in the proper direction and so as not to obstruct the collection vehicle. Container lid must be kept closed at all times to prevent any accumulation of water. Bags, boxes or other items shall not be placed on top of the closed container lid.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
The Sanitation Division assigns every household a numbered, city-owned collection cart. On collection day it must sit within three feet of the street curb (or road edge on noncurb streets), turned to face the proper direction, lid closed so it doesn't fill with rainwater, and nothing stacked on top of the lid. Under Sec. 22-85, setting the cart out is unlawful before sundown the day before your scheduled pickup, and it has to come back off the curb the same collection day. Overloading the cart or blocking the truck's access is also a violation. First offense carries a fine up to $100 or ten days in jail, climbing to $500 or three months for a third offense within a year.
Violations & Fines
First offense: up to $100 fine or 10 days jail. Second offense in a year: $200 fine or 30 days jail. Third+ offense: $500 fine or up to 3 months jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I put my trash cart out the night before?
How does the cart need to be positioned at the curb?
What happens if I leave the cart out too long?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Madison County handle bin placement rules.