Sonoma, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Who sets frequency and rates
- City council, by resolution
- Who sets specific pickup days
- Franchised collector, city-approved
- Contract term
- Up to 10 years, § 7.08.030
- Payment due date
- 1st of month after collection, § 7.08.090
- Franchise remedy for violation
- City may cancel contract, § 7.08.120
Summary
The City of Sonoma does not fix pickup days in the municipal code itself. Sonoma Municipal Code § 7.08.070 instead has the city council set collection frequency and maximum rates by resolution, while the city's exclusive franchised collector sets the actual scheduled days and times for each location, subject to the city's approval.
The city council shall fix by resolution the frequency at which the collector shall accomplish collection and the maximum rates which the collector may charge for the various services. The regularly scheduled days and times for collection at various locations in the city shall be determined by the collector subject to approval by the city.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 13-2025, passed December 3, 2025).
Full Breakdown
070, two different bodies split responsibility for how often trash gets picked up in the City of Sonoma. 08. The regularly scheduled days and times for collection at particular locations around the city are then determined by the collector itself, but only subject to the city's approval, meaning the franchised hauler cannot unilaterally shift routes or days without city sign-off. 090 separately fixes when collection charges become due, generally the first of the month following collection, with a floor of no less than 15 days after an invoice.
Because the collector, not city hall, publishes the specific weekly pickup day for a given street, residents confirm their actual schedule through the franchised hauler's published route map rather than the code.
Violations & Fines
There is no separate criminal penalty tied to § 7.08.070 itself; failure by the collector to comply with council-approved frequency or rate resolutions is governed through the franchise contract, which § 7.08.120 allows the city to cancel and relet if the collector violates Chapter 7.08. A customer's failure to pay properly charged collection fees is pursued as a civil debt under § 7.08.130, not as a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Sonoma's code list what day trash is picked up on my street?
Who decides how much I'm charged for trash collection in the City of Sonoma?
When is my trash collection bill due?
Can the trash company change my pickup day without telling the city?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma
California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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Collection Schedule in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sonoma County handle collection schedule.