Trenton, NJ Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Screening distance
- 6 feet minimum from residential property line
- Earliest curb set-out
- 7:00 p.m. day before collection
- Halloween exception
- 10:00 p.m. set-out on Oct. 30-31
- Max penalty
- $3,000 under § 248-9B
- First-offense outcome
- Warning, then Municipal Court summons
Summary
Trenton Code § 150-9C keeps trash, refuse and garbage receptacles at least six feet from any property line next to a residential lot and screened from ground-level view, and § 248-8D bars residents from setting approved containers at the curb before 7:00 p.m. the night before collection, with a later 10:00 p.m. start on October 30 and 31.
C. Prohibitions. No person shall place any trash, refuse or garbage receptacle on any property adjacent to a residential property in such a manner that it is closer than six feet from any property line at its closest point and in such a manner that it is visible from ground level or from any portion of the improvement of the residential property. Appropriate screening materials shall conform to existing code requirements. This subsection shall not pertain to thirty-two-gallon or smaller domestic waste receptacles, nor larger receptacles while temporarily in active use in connection with any building project for which a permit has been issued. ... D. Set-out time. All approved containers must be placed for pickup, curb or alley, not earlier than 7:00 p.m. of the day preceding the day of collection except on October 30th and October 31st garbage shall be placed outside not earlier than 10:00 p.m., but not later than 7:00 a.m. collection day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4853025; v21 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 150-9C's screening rule applies to any trash, refuse or garbage receptacle placed on property adjacent to a residential lot: the receptacle cannot sit closer than six feet from the property line at its nearest point, and it cannot be visible either from ground level or from any part of the residential improvement, with screening materials required to meet the City's code. The rule exempts ordinary 32-gallon or smaller domestic waste cans and larger receptacles that are only temporarily in active use on a permitted building project.
on collection day. The Department of Public Works, Division of Solid Waste Management approves the exact placement location. , and § 248-8F requires landlords to give every tenant, new or existing, a written collection-day schedule and to keep a signed record of that notice on file for each rental unit every year.
Violations & Fines
Violating the solid waste article's placement, screening or set-out rules draws a warning for a first offense; every violation after that gets a Municipal Court summons under § 248-9B. The maximum penalty for a solid waste violation is $3,000, higher than the general Chapter 1 cap, and the Director of Public Works, Sanitation Superintendent and sanitation inspectors are all empowered to issue the summonses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How early can I put my trash cans out in Trenton?
Do I need to screen my trash cans from my neighbor's yard?
What happens the first time I violate Trenton's container rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Trenton
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