Palm Springs, CA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Access rule
- No containers behind locked gates at collection time
- Fill rule
- No more than level full, kept covered
- Residential material
- Metal or plastic, tight-fitting cover, watertight
- Multi-family
- Marked units or centralized location, adequate space
- Commercial bins on ROW
- Need Chapter 14.16 encroachment permit
Summary
Palm Springs residential waste containers cannot sit behind locked gates or doors, or inside a fenced area also used to pen animals, and must stay filled no higher than level and kept covered at collection time. Commercial-type bins placed on a public right-of-way next to commercial property need a separate encroachment permit first.
No Containers shall be located within locked gates or doors or in a fenced or enclosed area that is also used to restrain animals at the time of Collection. The Containers shall be filled no more than level full and shall be kept covered. ... Commercial-type bins shall not be placed in or on public rights-of-way adjacent to commercially zoned property prior to obtaining an encroachment permit in compliance with the provisions of Chapter 14.16.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4923139; v14 updated 2026-06-24).
Full Breakdown
020 requires every person in possession or control of a premises to keep containers in a suitable place readily accessible to the waste collector, filled no more than level full, and kept covered. The same section specifically bars locating containers within locked gates or doors, or in a fenced or enclosed area that is also used to restrain animals, at the time of collection, so a hauler cannot be blocked from reaching a bin by a locked yard or a dog enclosure. 040 sets the container itself: residential containers must be metal or plastic, fitted with suitable handles and tight-fitting covers, and watertight, and where the city or its agent provides carts, residential and commercial premises on individual cart collection must use the carts the city supplies and keep solid waste, recyclables and organic waste separated among them.
030 lets multiple-family dwelling owners either provide marked containers for each unit or arrange centralized container locations through the waste collector, provided there is adequate storage space under city requirements. 16.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a container behind a locked gate or in an animal enclosure at collection time, overfilling a container above level full, or leaving it uncovered violates Section 6.04.020. Placing a commercial-type bin on the public right-of-way without the Chapter 14.16 encroachment permit required by Section 6.04.070(b) is a separate violation. The city manager enforces container compliance under Section 6.04.245, and unresolved violations default to the citywide misdemeanor-or-infraction structure in Section 1.01.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep my Palm Springs trash bin behind a locked gate?
What kind of container does Palm Springs require for household trash?
Do I need a permit to place a commercial dumpster on the street in Palm Springs?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Springs
California rules heatmap·Compare Palm Springs to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Riverside County handle bin placement rules.