St. Louis County, MN Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing law
- Ordinance No. 45, Article VI, Section 7
- Who must comply
- Owners, lessees, occupants in Solid Waste Management Area
- Funding mechanism
- County Board-set Solid Waste Management Fee, Article VIII §1
- Unpaid fee consequence
- Becomes a lien, billed like delinquent property taxes
- Penalty class
- Misdemeanor, separate offense each day
Summary
Ordinance No. 45 requires every property owner, lessee, or occupant within the county's Solid Waste Management Area to arrange lawful collection, transportation, and disposal of all solid waste generated on the property. The County Board sets service fees by resolution, and unpaid charges become a lien collected the same way as delinquent property taxes.
Section 7. Duty to Provide Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Solid Waste. It shall be the duty of the Person, which specifically includes the owner, lessee or occupant, having properties within the St. Louis County Solid Waste Management Area to provide for the lawful Collection, Transportation, and Disposal of all Solid Waste Generated on such properties.
Full Breakdown
Article VI, Section 7 of Ordinance No. 45 places an affirmative duty on property owners: 'It shall be the duty of the Person, which specifically includes the owner, lessee or occupant, having properties within the St. 1, may lawfully move that waste. 1 lets the County Board set a service fee billed to owners, lessees, or occupants of every improved property in a Service Area, becoming a lien on the property if unpaid. In cities with mandatory collection, the fee is billed to the city itself for all properties served.
1 requires the County Board to certify unpaid charges to the County Auditor by October 15 each year, after which they are collected the same way as delinquent real property taxes, with the same penalties and interest rate. 3, with a separate offense for each day the failure continues.
Violations & Fines
Failing to provide for lawful collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste generated on a property is a misdemeanor under Article IX, Section 3.3, charged as a separate offense for each day it continues. Unpaid Solid Waste Service Fees become a lien on the property and are collected the same way, with the same penalties and interest, as delinquent real property taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is trash collection mandatory in St. Louis County, Minnesota?
What happens if I don't pay my county solid waste fee?
Who enforces the county's collection requirement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
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