Cobb County, GA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum frequency
- At least once per week (§102-70(1))
- Holiday weeks
- Pickup day shifts; service never skipped that week
- Change-of-service notice
- 10 days written notice to county and customer
- Collection hours ban
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., with emergency exceptions
- Approved disposal only
- State- or county-permitted facility required, no other dumping
- Enforcing agency
- Sustainability, Waste and Beautification Department
- Maximum penalty
- $1,000 fine and up to 60 days jail
Summary
Cobb County requires every permitted residential hauler working the unincorporated area to collect household trash at least once a week under Code of Ordinances section 102-70. During any week that includes a legal holiday, the hauler must shift the pickup day rather than skip the stop. Collectors also owe the county and each customer ten days written notice before selling the business, dropping service, or raising rates, and may only dump at a state or county permitted disposal facility.
All residential collectors shall comply with the following requirements: (1) Collection schedule: Collectors shall provide residential collection service at least once per week. No undue disturbance shall be created in residential areas during residential collection. (2) Collection during holidays: During a week which includes a legal holiday, collectors shall alternate collection days, if necessary, to ensure that collection service is provided at least once during such a holiday week. (3) Notice to customer and county: Residential collectors shall give written notice of any change in policy or level of service as follows: a. To the county at least ten days prior to the implementation of any such change... b. To the customer at least ten days prior to the implementation of any such change, including but not limited to termination of service; change of phone number, and change of rates. (4) Disposal of solid waste: All collectors, including commercial collectors, must dispose of any solid waste in an approved disposal facility permitted and regulated by the state department of natural resources and/or the county.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 102 of the Cobb County Code, the "Solid Waste, Recycling and Residential Collection Ordinance," governs only the unincorporated county; Marietta, Smyrna, Kennesaw, Acworth, Powder Springs and Austell each run their own solid waste codes. Section 102-1 states the county's purpose is the "mandatory removal of residential solid waste materials," and section 102-70 sets the operating rules every permitted residential collector must follow. Collectors must pick up at least once per week without creating undue disturbance in the neighborhood, and during a week that includes a legal holiday they must alternate the route so the stop still happens once that week rather than being skipped.
A collector changing policy, level of service, phone number, rates, or ownership must give the county and the affected customer ten days written notice; a sale of the company only requires notifying customers within 30 days after closing. Every load must go to a disposal facility permitted by the state or the county, never dumped elsewhere. Collectors must keep a published customer-service phone number and a written complaint-resolution process on file with the sustainability, waste and beautification department. , except emergency work or a declared state of emergency or extreme-heat OSHA advisory.
Residents themselves may self-haul household waste to a permitted facility under section 102-9, but self-hauling does not exempt anyone from the chapter's other requirements, including the bagging rule in section 102-69 that requires household trash to be enclosed in tied plastic bags before it reaches the curb or a disposal site.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under chapter 102, including a missed weekly minimum or a skipped ten-day notice, is a misdemeanor: up to a $1,000 fine and up to 60 days in jail. A second violation within 12 months adds $200 to that fine, a third adds $650, and a fourth violation hits the $1,000 cap, each incident charged separately. The department head can suspend a collector's permit for 30 days for due cause; only the Board of Commissioners can revoke a permit or extend a suspension, after a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is trash collection mandatory for unincorporated Cobb County homes?
Can I skip a private hauler and haul my own trash?
What happens if a holiday falls during my collection week?
Does this collection rule apply inside Marietta or Smyrna?
Can my hauler just raise my rate or drop my service with no warning?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cobb County
Compare Cobb County to another location·View the Georgia trash & recycling overview
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