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Montgomery County, VA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
§ 9.1-16, placement for collection
Where
Curb or edge of street/alley
Earliest set-out
Regularly scheduled collection day
Container removal
By end of collection day
Applies in
County outside Blacksburg, Christiansburg

Summary

In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, county-collected trash has to be set at the curb or street edge in adequate containers, and only on the regularly scheduled collection day, not earlier. Empty containers must come back off the curb by the end of the same collection day.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Montgomery County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

All solid waste from premises to which collection services are provided by the county shall be placed at the curb or edge of the street or alley for collection in adequate containers. Any solid waste containers to be placed at the curb or edge of the street or alley for collection shall not be so placed until the regularly scheduled collection day. The empty containers shall be removed from the street curb by the end of the collection day.

Full Breakdown

1-16, Placement for Collection, governs how and when residents put out containers for county collection. All solid waste from premises receiving county collection service must be placed at the curb or edge of the street or alley for collection, and it has to be in adequate containers, not loose. The section specifically bars early set-out: containers cannot be placed at the curb or street edge until the regularly scheduled collection day itself. Once collection happens, the resident's obligation continues: the empty containers have to be removed from the street curb by the end of that same collection day, so they do not sit out overnight or block the right-of-way.

1-16 traces to the county's 1992 solid waste ordinance (Ord. No. 1-10, since each town sets its own placement rules for its own collection program.

Violations & Fines

Chapter 9.1 does not print a standalone dollar fine inside § 9.1-16 for early set-out or a container left at the curb past collection day; the county administrator's collection rules and regulations administer day-to-day compliance, and repeated noncompliance can affect continued service to the premises under § 9.1-17.

Frequently Asked Questions

How early can I put my trash can out at the curb?
Not before the regularly scheduled collection day. Section 9.1-16 bars placing solid waste containers at the curb or street edge until the actual collection day.
When do I have to bring my empty can back in?
By the end of the collection day. Section 9.1-16 requires empty containers to be removed from the street curb by the end of that same day.
What kind of container does the code require?
An adequate container. Section 9.1-16 requires solid waste to be placed at the curb or edge of the street or alley in adequate containers, not loose or bagged waste set directly on the ground.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Montgomery County

All Montgomery County rules

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