Valencia County, NM Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum frequency
- At least once per week (§ 50.24)
- Service refusal
- Allowed only for nonpayment
- Refusal dispute
- County Manager hearing within 5 days
- Self-haul fee
- Owed even if service is not used (§ 50.15(B))
- School buffer
- No collection within 200 ft, 30 min of bell
Summary
Unincorporated Valencia County requires the franchise hauler to collect residential and commercial solid waste at least once a week under Code § 50.24, and bars refusing service except for nonpayment. Section 50.15(B) makes clear that even a resident who self-hauls waste still owes the county's collection fees.
(B) Handling of solid waste by others. Division (A) of this section shall not prohibit the actual producers of solid waste, or the owners of premises upon which solid waste has accumulated, from personally collecting, conveying and disposing of such solid waste. The producers or owners shall comply with the provisions herein, and with any other governing law or articles, that regulate the disposal of solid waste, and shall pay all applicable collection fees, whether the solid waste collection service is utilized or not. ... Solid waste shall be collected or removed from residential premises by the contractor/hauler and commercial establishments at least once per week. No resident shall be refused service by a contractor/hauler (except for nonpayment).
Full Breakdown
24, Frequency of Collection, sets the floor for how often trash has to be picked up: solid waste shall be collected or removed from residential premises by the contractor/hauler and commercial establishments at least once per week. The same section protects residents from being cut off arbitrarily: no resident shall be refused service by a contractor/hauler except for nonpayment, and any refusal must be documented and submitted to the County Manager's designee within five days, with the County Manager reviewing the dispute at a public hearing and the hauler bound to abide by the decision.
15(B) clarifies that a producer who personally collects and disposes of their own waste shall pay all applicable collection fees, whether the solid waste collection service is utilized or not. 19(E)(3).
Violations & Fines
A contractor/hauler who refuses residential service for a reason other than nonpayment violates § 50.24 and must document the refusal for County Manager review within five days. A resident who tries to avoid the mandatory collection fee under § 50.15(B) by self-hauling without paying still owes the fee. General violations of the chapter carry the § 50.99(C)(3) penalty: up to $300 per day, or up to 90 days in jail under § 50.99(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is trash collected in unincorporated Valencia County?
Can the hauler refuse to pick up my trash?
If I haul my own trash, do I still have to pay the county's collection fee?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Valencia County
Compare Valencia County to another location·View the New Mexico trash & recycling overview
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