Auburn, AL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Collection frequency
- Once per week, residential
- Subscription
- Mandatory for every premises
- Billing agent
- Water works board
- Curbside rate
- $32.00 per month
- Max fine for violation
- $500.00 (Sec. 1-9)
Summary
Auburn requires every occupied premises to subscribe to city refuse service, and residential garbage is collected once per week citywide under the solid waste department's schedule. Trash and recyclables set out behind the curb get weekly pickup too, except where the code provides otherwise.
It shall be unlawful for any person in possession, charge or control, jointly or severally, of any premises where refuse is created or accumulated, and in the case of multiple dwellings or multiple occupancy which requires a city business license, for the owner or agent, jointly or severally, of the premises, to fail to subscribe to refuse service as created and at the charges established hereunder.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 90).
Full Breakdown
City Code Chapter 20, Article II sets Auburn's collection framework. Section 20-22 makes subscription to refuse service mandatory: anyone in possession or control of a premises where refuse is created, including owners or agents of multi-unit properties requiring a city business license, must subscribe to service at the rates the city sets. Section 20-23 fixes the frequency: residential garbage collection happens once per week, and trash and recyclable materials placed in front of the premises but behind the curb (within three feet of it) are removed once per week as well, unless another section provides a different schedule.
50 per month for backdoor service under Section 20-47. Missing a subscription is a separate violation from a missed pickup: the ordinance targets the person in control of the premises, not just the resident, so landlords of multi-unit buildings carry direct responsibility for keeping accounts current. Because the schedule is tied to the day the solid waste director designates for a given route, residents who move or who are added to a new area should expect their pickup day to be reassigned rather than fixed citywide.
Violations & Fines
Failing to subscribe to required refuse service under Section 20-22 is a municipal offense; general penalties under Section 1-9 apply, carrying a fine of up to $500.00 and/or up to six months of imprisonment, with each day of continued noncompliance treated as a separate offense. The solid waste department and city finance department jointly track unpaid accounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
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