Ventura, CA Trash & Recycling: Bin Placement Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Preferred placement
- Parkway strip, if available
- Alternate placement
- Curb, sidewalk, or paved alley
- Storage rule
- Not visible from a public street (§ 6.500.160)
- Placement disputes
- Resolved by Director of Public Works
Summary
Ventura residents must place carts in the parkway strip if one exists, otherwise at the curb, sidewalk, or in a paved alley, under Municipal Code § 6.500.150(A). Between pickups, § 6.500.160 bars leaving a container on public property or storing it anywhere in a residential area where it is visible from a public street.
A. Separate containers for the purpose of reception and removal of solid waste, including black container waste, food waste, green waste, and recyclable materials, shall be placed by the occupant in the parkway portion of the street, if available, otherwise on the curb or sidewalk along the street in front or to the rear of each residential dwelling or place of business in the city. Where paved alleys exist from which collections can be made, the containers may be placed in such paved alleys. ... Except as provided in Section 6.500.150, no person shall place or leave any container described in this chapter on public property, or allow such container to remain thereon. No person shall store such a container in a residential area so that it is visible from a public street.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2026-008, passed May 12, 2026).
Full Breakdown
150(A) sets the collection-day placement order: containers for solid waste, black container waste, food waste, green waste, and recyclable materials go in the parkway portion of the street if one is available; if there is no parkway, they go on the curb or sidewalk in front of, or to the rear of, the dwelling or business; and where paved alleys exist and can be used for collection, containers may be placed there instead. 150(B) gives the director of public works authority to resolve disputes over exactly where a container should sit while it waits to be emptied.
160 takes over: no one may place or leave a container on public property, or allow one to remain there, and no one may store a container in a residential area so that it is visible from a public street, which is the code's basis for requiring carts to be screened or kept out of front-yard view between pickups.
Violations & Fines
Placing a container somewhere other than the parkway, curb, sidewalk, or paved alley specified in § 6.500.150(A) is a placement violation. Leaving a container on public property outside the collection window, or storing it where it's visible from the street in a residential area, violates § 6.500.160.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I put my trash cart for pickup in Ventura?
Can I store my empty trash cans in my front yard where they're visible from the street?
Who decides where my cart goes if there's a placement dispute?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ventura
California rules heatmap·Compare Ventura to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Bin Placement Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle bin placement rules.