San Luis Obispo County, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential minimum
- Once per week
- Food/restaurant minimum
- Twice per week
- Collection hours
- 6 a.m.–9 p.m. near residential areas
- Enforced by
- County Health Officer
Summary
County code requires weekly garbage removal for homes and twice-weekly pickup for restaurants and food businesses.
Except as provided in subsection (b) below, the occupant of any dwelling, house or place of human habitation, including a business establishment, shall dispose of or remove from the premises, at least once each week, all solid waste created or produced or accumulated in or about the premises. All solid waste created, produced or accumulated at or about any restaurant, retail or wholesale market, food processing facility, hotel, motel, or other business establishment where food is sold, prepared or served, shall be removed from the premises at least twice each week, or more frequently if determined necessary by the health officer.
Full Breakdown
Under County Code Section 8.12.220, every occupied dwelling and business in unincorporated San Luis Obispo County must remove its solid waste at least once a week. Restaurants, markets, food processing plants, hotels, motels and other places that sell or serve food must have waste hauled at least twice a week, or more often if the health officer decides it's needed. Section 8.12.230 further requires each permitted hauler to set a fixed, regular collection schedule for its customers and bars collection in residential areas, schools, churches, hospitals and nearby commercial sites before 6 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
Violations & Fines
Piling up solid waste beyond the once- or twice-weekly removal schedule is a code violation the health officer can enforce; haulers that collect outside the permitted hours or fail to meet their filed schedule also violate the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often must trash be picked up at a San Luis Obispo County home?
Do restaurants have a different pickup schedule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Luis Obispo County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Luis Obispo County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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