St. Petersburg, FL Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest set-out
- 7:00 p.m. evening before collection
- Must be out by
- 7:00 a.m. on collection day
- Must be removed by
- 7:00 p.m. on collection day
- Missed cutoff
- No same-day pickup after truck passes
- Fine per violation
- $500.00
Summary
St. Petersburg residents may set garbage and recycling carts at the curb or alley no earlier than 7 p.m. the evening before collection, must have them out by 7 a.m. on collection day, and must pull them back by 7 p.m. that day under § 27-533.
(a) Prohibited hours. Approved bulk garbage or bulk recycling containers placed near the curb or alley must be placed there no earlier than 7:00 p.m. of the evening preceding the collection day and must be removed to a point at the side or rear of the structure not later than the later of 7:00 p.m. of the day of collection or when the container has been emptied. (b) Collection time. All approved bulk garbage or bulk recycling containers that must be placed near the curb or alley for collection must be so placed prior to 7:00 a.m. on the day of collection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 27-533, "Time of container placement," sets the window residents and businesses must follow for bulk garbage and bulk recycling containers placed near the curb or alley for City pickup. on the day of collection or as soon as it has been emptied, whichever is later. on collection day; if it isn't out by then and the truck has already finished that area, it will not be serviced until the next scheduled pickup. This section, added by Ord. No. 606-H in 2025, replaced a prior version of the placement-timing rule that had been codified as § 27-283 under the 1992 Code and traced back to § 17-49 of the 1973 Code, with a note in § 27-471 pointing to the current § 27-533 language.
The rule applies uniformly to both garbage and single-stream recycling carts, and works alongside the separate location rules in § 27-539 that govern how far from the curb or alley a container may sit.
Violations & Fines
Setting a container out before 7 p.m. the prior evening, leaving it at the curb past 7 p.m. on collection day, or missing the 7 a.m. cutoff and expecting same-day pickup, is a violation of Chapter 27, Article V, enforced under § 27-498 with a $500.00 fine per violation and prosecution under § 1-7 of the Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my trash cart out in St. Petersburg?
What time does my cart need to be out for pickup?
How long can my empty cart sit at the curb after pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle bin placement rules.