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Clay County, FL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

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

Key Facts

Governing sections
§§ 10-52, 10-53
Permit term
1 year, expires Dec. 31
Annual permit fee
$10
Performance bond
14% of quarterly charge
Neglect threshold
2nd (weekly)/3rd (biweekly) missed day
Complaint office hours
8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. weekdays

Summary

Clay County's public policy under Code of Ordinances § 10-52 is periodic, timely and continuous garbage, trash and refuse collection across the unincorporated county, delivered through private haulers permitted annually by the board of county commissioners under § 10-53. No company may collect, transport or dispose of garbage in the unincorporated area without that permit, which expires every December 31.

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

Sec. 10-52. - General policy. It is the public policy of Clay County to ensure the public that periodic, timely and continuous collection of garbage, trash and refuse will be made, and further, to ensure the protection of the public health and welfare by requiring that disposal of garbage and refuse is carried out in accordance with basic principles of sanitation.

Sec. 10-53. - Permit required. (a)It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of collecting, transporting or disposing of garbage, trash or refuse within the unincorporated area of Clay County without first being issued a permit by the board of county commissioners. In order for any such person, firm, partnership or corporation to qualify for such permit, the board of county commissioners shall determine that such person, firm, partnership or corporation is, and has the potential of remaining in compliance with this division.(b)The permit shall be issued for a period of one (1) year and shall expire December 31 of each year.

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 86).

Full Breakdown

Section 10-53 makes it unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to collect, transport or dispose of garbage, trash or refuse in unincorporated Clay County without a permit from the board of county commissioners, issued for one year and expiring every December 31; renewal applications go to the Clay County Health Department at least 45 days before expiration. Applicants file route and equipment details, the disposal site, an annual permit fee of ten dollars, proof of vehicle liability and workers' compensation insurance, and a cash performance bond under Section 10-55 equal to 14 percent of the average quarterly subscriber charge, adjusted upward whenever service charges rise or subscribers grow more than 10 percent.

Section 10-58 defines when a collector has neglected a route: failing to collect garbage and refuse for a third consecutive day of scheduled biweekly service, or a second consecutive day of scheduled weekly service, triggers a bond claim so the county's public works director can run emergency collection at least once a week, plus 15 percent for overhead, until service resumes or another hauler takes over. Under Section 10-59(c), the board can revoke a hauler's permit outright for failing to maintain a timely collection schedule, failing to give adequate service, running improper equipment, unethical business practices, improper disposal, or lapsed insurance, after a hearing establishes one of those grounds. on business days, with a complaint received the day before a holiday or on a Saturday handled the next working day.

Violations & Fines

A hauler that misses scheduled pickups risks a claim against its Section 10-55 performance bond, and on a second missed weekly day or a third missed biweekly day, the county's public works director can run emergency collection at the hauler's expense plus 15 percent overhead. Persistent schedule failures let the board revoke the permit under § 10-59(c) after a hearing, and operating in the unincorporated county without a permit at all is unlawful under § 10-53.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who collects residential garbage in unincorporated Clay County?
Private haulers permitted annually by the Clay County Board of County Commissioners under § 10-53; it's unlawful for any company to collect, transport or dispose of garbage, trash or refuse in the unincorporated area without that permit, which runs through December 31 each year.
How often is my trash supposed to be picked up?
Section 10-58 treats a route as neglected once a hauler misses a third straight day of scheduled biweekly service or a second straight day of scheduled weekly service, at which point the county can step in with emergency collection at the hauler's cost.
What happens if my hauler keeps missing pickup days?
Under § 10-59(c), the Board of County Commissioners can revoke the hauler's permit for failing to maintain a timely collection schedule, but only after holding a hearing and finding that ground, or another listed cause, actually applies.
How do I complain about missed garbage collection?
Every permitted hauler must staff a local Clay County office to take complaints from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on business days under § 10-60; a complaint made the day before a holiday or on a Saturday is handled the next working day.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Clay County

All Clay County rules

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