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Mendocino County, CA Trash & Recycling: Bulk Item Disposal (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
Mendocino County Code § 9A.08.090
Covers
tires, appliances, furniture, bulky items
Requirement
arrange disposal before drop-off
Enforcing dept.
Division of Solid Waste, DOT
Penalty path
notice, then Ch. 1.08 citation

Summary

Tires, furniture, appliances, and other 'hard-to-handle waste' can't just go in a refuse container or a Mendocino County disposal site: Section 9A.08.090 requires special arrangements first, either with the franchised solid waste collector or directly with the disposal site operator.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Mendocino County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

No person shall deposit in any container used for refuse any tires and/or hard-to-handle waste or substance without having first made special arrangements for the disposal thereof with the solid waste collector. No person shall knowingly deposit any tires and/or hard-to-handle waste or substance in or at any disposal site without having first made special arrangements with the site operator.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).

Full Breakdown

090 bars depositing tires or hard-to-handle waste in any refuse container without first making special arrangements with the solid waste collector, and separately bars knowingly dropping such material at a disposal site without arranging it with the site operator. 030 defines 'hard-to-handle waste' broadly: household furniture, appliances, tree stumps and large limbs, telephone poles and timbers, Styrofoam, transit pipe, large metal objects, cable, wire, and concrete pieces over 1,000 pounds or reinforced concrete, none of which fit in a standard container. The same definitions section separately defines 'bulky waste' to include discarded white goods, furniture, tires, carpets, mattresses, and similar large items that can't be placed in a covered container.

12, the 'special arrangements' the code requires mean calling the area's franchised hauler to schedule a bulky-item pickup, or contacting the transfer station or landfill operator directly if self-hauling. 090. 020 gives the Director of the Department of Transportation, which runs the county's Division of Solid Waste, authority to inspect collection containers and loads to confirm hard-to-handle waste and tires aren't slipped into regular refuse without the required arrangement.

Violations & Fines

Depositing tires or hard-to-handle waste without arranging it first is enforced under Section 9A.24.030: the Director must give notice and a chance to correct before issuing a citation, and after that, penalties follow Chapter 1.08's administrative citation schedule. Section 9A.24.010's general enforcement authority applies to any Title 9A violation not otherwise resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I put an old tire out with my regular trash in Mendocino County?
No. Section 9A.08.090 prohibits depositing tires or hard-to-handle waste in any refuse container without first making special arrangements with the solid waste collector. Call your franchised hauler to schedule a tire or bulky-item pickup instead of setting it at the curb with normal refuse.
What counts as hard-to-handle waste in the county code?
Section 9A.04.030 lists household furniture, appliances, tree stumps and large limbs, telephone poles, Styrofoam, transit pipe, large metal objects, cable, wire, and concrete pieces over 1,000 pounds. None of it fits in a standard container, which is why Section 9A.08.090 requires arranging its disposal separately.
What happens if I dump an appliance at the transfer station without arranging it?
Section 9A.08.090 makes it unlawful to knowingly deposit tires or hard-to-handle waste at a disposal site without first arranging it with the site operator, and county inspectors under Section 9A.24.020 can check loads for compliance. Violations move through the notice-and-correct process in Section 9A.24.030 before any citation issues.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Mendocino County

All Mendocino County rules

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