Okaloosa County, FL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Collection frequency
- twice weekly, solid waste
- Collection hours
- 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Mon-Sat
- No collection
- Sundays or holidays, absent emergency
- Unauthorized hauling
- misdemeanor, up to 60 days jail
- New customer start
- service within 3 days of notice
- Governing law
- County Code §§ 11-191, 11-192, 11-197
Summary
Okaloosa County runs residential garbage pickup through one exclusive franchisee, and County Code § 11-191(a)(1) locks in twice-weekly collection for every single-family home in the franchise area. Crews work 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, under § 11-191(f), and Section 11-197 makes it a misdemeanor for anyone else to haul residential waste there.
(1)Frequency of collection. The franchisee shall collect all solid waste from single-family dwelling units within the franchise area two times per week. ... (f)Hours of collection. All collections shall begin no earlier than 7:00 a.m., and shall cease no later than 7:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday. In the case of an emergency, collection may be permitted at times not allowed by this paragraph, provided the franchisee has received prior approval from the public works director or his/her designee in writing. No collection shall occur on Sundays or holidays, as defined herein, except in a time of emergency. ... It shall be unlawful for an individual or entity to collect residential solid waste within the franchise area without an exclusive franchise from the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Section 11-192 grants one franchisee the exclusive right, privilege, easement, and franchise to collect solid waste, yard trash, bulk waste, and recyclable materials from every single-family dwelling in the designated franchise area, though that exclusivity doesn't extend to biomedical, biological, hazardous, or infectious waste, construction and demolition debris, or special pickups. Section 11-191(a)(1) sets the core schedule: the franchisee must collect solid waste from single-family homes twice a week. , Monday through Saturday; no collection happens on Sundays or holidays except in an emergency the public works director has approved in writing beforehand.
New residential customers must get service started within three days of the county or the customer notifying the franchisee, under § 11-191(e). Because the system is a single exclusive franchise rather than an open market, Section 11-197 makes it unlawful for any other individual or entity to collect residential solid waste within the franchise area, closing off the option of hiring an outside hauler for regular garbage service.
Violations & Fines
Collecting residential solid waste in the franchise area without the exclusive franchise is a misdemeanor under Section 11-197, prosecuted in the name of the state before a court with jurisdiction over misdemeanors; a conviction carries a fine, imprisonment in the county jail for up to 60 days, or both. Other Article IV violations are treated as civil infractions under Section 11-186 that code enforcement can act on separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Okaloosa County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Okaloosa County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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