Howard County, MD Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Howard County Code Sec. 901 levies a refuse collection charge annually on every residential property for which the County actually provides refuse collection service. The County Council sets a uniform basic charge by resolution, along with the quantity of refuse that basic charge covers; owners of properties with more than one dwelling unit can apply to the Department of Public Works for service on the additional units, and their charge is the uniform basic charge multiplied by the number of units served. Separately, Sec. 901(b) levies its own annual charge on property inside the Ellicott City Refuse Collection Zone, an area the Council defines by resolution, and the Council may add a surcharge there for commercial uses that generate a significant quantity of refuse.

Sec. 900 defines residential property narrowly: single-family residences and separately owned townhouses and condominiums qualify, but rental apartment buildings and mobile home parks do not. Sec. 902 folds the charge directly into the real property tax bill as a separate line item, collected, enforced, and prioritized the same way as County property taxes, with the same interest and penalties for nonpayment. Owners who need more capacity can pay an additional fee under Sec. 903 for extra refuse quantities or service. Sec. 904 also runs a refuse collection charge assistance program through the Department of Finance: an owner-occupant, or a mobile home owner paying the charge through a park owner, whose household income is 250 percent of the federal poverty level or less can apply for a grant or credit worth 60 percent of the charge.