Bowie, MD Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

The Bowie City Code addresses dumpsters in two places. Under § 5-7B(6)(a)[7], part of the exterior property-maintenance standards in Chapter 5, residential dumpster bags or roll-off dumpsters brought in for a household relocation or improvement project are allowed, but only if they stay on the property no more than 45 days in a calendar year, sit on private property rather than the right-of-way, and do not protrude into or damage that right-of-way. That 45-day cap and placement rule sits alongside the Chapter 5 open-storage rules, which otherwise require most exterior materials and equipment to be screened from view or kept inside a building.

Separately, § 10-5, in the Garbage, Trash and Refuse chapter, governs commercial receptacles used by businesses and multifamily properties: they must be maintained to prevent rodent access and harborage, kept in sanitary, structurally sound condition, and secured so contained refuse cannot scatter or discharge. Neither section sets a numeric size limit on the dumpster itself, but both are enforced through the Chapter 1 citation process; § 5-13 makes Chapter 5 property-maintenance violations subject to their own violations-and-penalties provision, while Chapter 10 violations fall under § 1-6C(8)'s municipal infraction declaration. Code Compliance inspects for both the 45-day residential limit and ongoing commercial receptacle upkeep.