Surprise, AZ Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- No collection 10 p.m.-6 a.m. near homes
- Proximity trigger
- Within 300 feet of a dwelling
- Service
- Mandatory; cannot opt out of billing
- Frequency
- Weekly automated collection (city discretion)
- Exception
- City-approved 'reasonable accommodations' allowed
Summary
Surprise bans trash and recycling collection between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. under City Code Sec. 58-113 whenever the pickup point sits within 300 feet of a home, covering both the city's own crews and private haulers. The city may approve a 'reasonable accommodation' to move collection outside that window on a case-by-case basis.
Hours of collection of solid waste or recyclables by private and municipal collectors shall be regulated by the city. In order to prohibit the disturbance of the public peace and welfare, it shall be unlawful to collect or remove or to cause, permit, facilitate, aid or abet the collection or removal of solid waste or recyclables between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. if the collection point or container location is within 300 feet of any residential dwelling unit unless reasonable accommodations are approved by the city.
Full Breakdown
The nighttime restriction in Sec. 58-113 applies to 'private' collectors, meaning any commercial or nonprofit hauler other than the city, as well as the municipal crews themselves, and is meant to prevent truck noise from disturbing residents near a pickup point. Collection service itself is not optional: Sec. 58-116 bars any resident or business from refusing solid waste service, and non-acceptance does not excuse the collection charge; only a temporary suspension under the city's administrative policies is allowed. Sec. 58-115 gives the city the exclusive right to collect solid waste citywide, subject only to private collectors it separately licenses, franchises, permits, or contracts.
Under Sec. 58-120(a), the city provides weekly automated residential solid waste collection and weekly automated recycling collection at its discretion, with individual curbside containers for each residence; a resident may request extra containers for a fee or opt out of recycling collection subject to conditions and fees the city sets. Specific collection days are designated by the city manager under Sec. 58-128(e), not fixed in the Code itself, and the city may substitute another collection method or require service from another source for residents it cannot reasonably or safely reach because of terrain, density, or distance.
Violations & Fines
Collecting outside the 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. window near a home without a city-approved accommodation is a Code violation, and repeated or uncorrected solid waste violations under this article are treated as public nuisances the city can abate directly. Refusing city service under Sec. 58-116 does not excuse a resident from paying the collection charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can trash trucks collect garbage at night in Surprise?
Is trash collection mandatory in Surprise, or can I opt out?
Who sets my trash collection day in Surprise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Surprise
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