Miami-Dade County, FL Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code § 15-13
- Scope
- UMSA + County-served municipalities
- Schedule set by
- administrative order, not the code
- Max penalty
- 30 days jail or fine
- Annexation continuity
- 20-year interlocal agreement option
Summary
In areas Miami-Dade County serves, mainly unincorporated UMSA, the Department of Solid Waste Management is the sole authorized residential collector; the code lets the Director bar private haulers there entirely.
The Director shall have the power to establish the type of solid waste collection service to be rendered to all areas where County solid waste collection service is provided... All residential waste collection within said areas shall, at the discretion of the Director, be serviced only by the Department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 135).
Full Breakdown
Miami-Dade County Code § 15-13 lets the Director of Solid Waste Management set collection service for every area the County serves, and gives the Director sole discretion to make the Department the only allowed residential collector there: private haulers are locked out once County service starts. Actual pickup days and frequency aren't fixed in the code itself; they're set by a separate administrative order that the Board of County Commissioners must approve first. If unincorporated territory is later annexed by a city, the Department keeps collecting residential waste there unless a 20-year interlocal agreement hands the job to the new municipality.
Violations & Fines
Violating this chapter is a misdemeanor: a fine under the County's minimum fine schedule, up to 30 days in jail, or both, plus civil penalties and injunctive relief under § 15-32 and Chapter 8CC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hire my own trash hauler in unincorporated Miami-Dade?
What day is my trash picked up?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Miami-Dade County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Miami-Dade County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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