Pasadena, CA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- 7 a.m. the day before collection
- Latest set-out
- 7 a.m. on collection day
- Removal deadline
- 7 a.m. the day after collection
- Containers
- City-supplied at no extra charge
- Misuse penalty
- Courtesy notice, then citation on repeat
- Right-of-way violation
- Governed by Section 8.60.335
Summary
Pasadena residents may not put regulation trash carts at the curb before 7 a.m. the day before pickup and must pull them back out of street view by 7 a.m. the next morning, under Municipal Code Section 8.60.070(B)-(C).
A. Except as otherwise permitted in writing by the director, no responsible person shall cause or permit solid waste to accumulate at any place or premises under his care or control for a period in excess of 7 calendar days. B. No later than 7 a.m. on the day designated for curbside collection for a residential premises, and no earlier than 7 a.m. the day before the day so designated, the responsible person shall cause all regulation containers assigned to the premises for which collection is desired to be deposited at the curbing in front of said premises or, if there is no curbing, at the location designated by the collector. C. No later than 7:00 a.m. on the day after the day designated for curbside collection, the responsible person shall cause all regulation containers to be removed from the collection place to a storage location on the premises where they are not readily visible from the street or if the container location is shown on an approved site plan, the regulation container must be kept at such location.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
070, Pasadena sets both an accumulation limit and a narrow curbside window for trash carts. Subsection (A) bars letting solid waste build up on any property for more than 7 calendar days without the director's written permission. on collection day itself. the following morning, the responsible person must pull the containers back to a storage location on the property that is not readily visible from the street, unless an approved site plan designates a different storage spot. 050(D). 26. 325.
Violations & Fines
Setting a cart out too early, leaving it at the curb or in the right-of-way past the removal deadline, or leaving it visible from the street violates Sections 8.60.070 and 8.60.335 and can bring an administrative citation. Overfilling, contaminating or failing to remove a container is misuse under Section 8.60.320: a first violation draws a courtesy notice, a second within six months a formal warning, and a third an administrative citation or compliance order under Section 8.60.325.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my trash cart out in Pasadena?
How soon do I have to bring my cans back in after pickup?
What counts as misuse of my Pasadena trash container?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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