Stanislaus County, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential hours
- 5 a.m.–6 p.m. only
- Near schools/hospitals/commercial
- 5 a.m.–9 p.m.
- Governing section
- County Code § 9.04.170
- Noise standard
- No unnecessarily noisy trucks, § 9.04.190
- Enforcement
- Dept. of Environmental Resources
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Stanislaus County only
Summary
Stanislaus County bars residential trash and recycling pickup before 5 a.m. or after 6 p.m. in unincorporated residential districts under Section 9.04.170, with a later 9 p.m. cutoff for schools, churches, hospitals, and commercial sites in or next to those neighborhoods.
No discarded materials collection shall be made in a residential district, as shown on the zoning map of the county, prior to five a.m. or after six p.m. No discarded materials collection shall be made at schools, churches, hospitals, offices, or commercial establishments in or adjacent to said residential districts prior to five a.m. or after nine p.m.
Full Breakdown
m. there either. 190's manner-of-collection standard, which requires all collection to be done 'as quietly as possible' and specifically declares the use of unnecessarily noisy trucks or equipment unlawful, so a hauler running early-morning routes with excessive noise can be cited on both the hours and the noise-of-operation grounds. 12, including the collection-hours limit, and a resident or hauler who wants an exception, for a special event or an unusual route, must get the department's approval rather than relying on the hauler's own schedule. 170 only reaches the unincorporated county; Modesto, Turlock, Ceres, and the county's other cities each set their own collection-hours ordinance for pickup inside city limits.
Violations & Fines
A hauler that collects outside the 5 a.m.-to-6 p.m. residential window, or past 9 p.m. near schools and hospitals, violates Section 9.04.170 and is subject to Section 9.12.100's penalty schedule: $50–$100 for a first offense, $100–$200 for a second, and $250–$500 for a third or subsequent offense, with each early or late run charged separately. Repeat violations can also support suspension or revocation of the hauler's franchise under Section 9.12.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can the garbage truck legally start collection in unincorporated Stanislaus County?
Is there a noise rule for trash trucks too?
Who enforces the collection-hours rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Stanislaus County
California rules heatmap·Compare Stanislaus County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.