Mobile County, AL Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Earliest curb set-out
- 5:00 p.m. day before pickup
- Latest curb removal
- 7:30 p.m. on collection day
- Container standard
- Water-tight, vector-resistant, no sharp edges
- Storage duty
- Owner/occupant must prevent rat harborage
- Fixed racks
- Prohibited in streets or street view
Summary
Section 45-49-252.07 requires solid waste to be stored on the property in vector-resistant, water-tight containers that won't overflow, and Section 45-49-252.14(g) sets the curb window: containers cannot go out before 5:00 p.m. the day before pickup and must come back in by 7:30 p.m. on collection day.
(a) The property owner or occupant shall store solid waste on his or her premises or property or shall require it to be stored or handled in such a manner as to prevent the propagation, or harborage of rats or arthropod vectors or the creation of a sanitary nuisance. (b) All garbage and putrescible matter or mixed garbage and rubbish shall be stored in containers which are nonabsorbent, water-tight, vector resistant, durable, easily cleaned, and designed for safe handling... (c) All solid waste containers shall be of adequate size and sufficient numbers to contain without overflowing all the refuse... a residence or other establishment generates within the designated period of time between collections. ... (g) Residential refuse or garbage containers shall not be placed on the curb or grass plot prior to 5:00 p.m. of the day preceding the scheduled time of collection, and all containers shall be removed from the curb or grass plot prior to 7:30 p.m. on the day of collection.
Full Breakdown
" Subsection (b) requires garbage and putrescible waste containers to be "nonabsorbent, water-tight, vector resistant, durable, easily cleaned, and designed for safe handling," or heavy-duty paper or plastic bags built for containment. Subsection (c) requires enough container capacity, and enough containers, to hold all refuse between collections without overflowing, and subsection (d) bars sharp edges or interior structures that block waste from discharging freely. 14(f) additionally bars building or maintaining a rack or structure to hold garbage containers in a public street or on private property within sight of a street, though a rolling garbage cart moved to and from the curb is allowed. 06(a)(2)g.
Violations & Fines
A container that isn't vector-resistant or overflows can be marked noncompliant by the enforcement agency; if the owner doesn't take it out of service, the collector removes and destroys it under Section 45-49-252.06(a)(2)g. Setting cans out before 5:00 p.m. the day before pickup, leaving them past 7:30 p.m. on collection day, or building a permanent rack to hold them streetside violates Section 45-49-252.14 and is punishable as a Class C misdemeanor under Section 45-49-252.17.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I put my garbage cart out in unincorporated Mobile County?
What kind of container does Mobile County require for garbage?
Can I build a permanent bin enclosure at the curb?
What happens if my container doesn't meet the standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile County
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