Des Moines, IA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Street placement
- Barred except in alleys
- Permit needed
- Areaway permit, engineering dept.
- Permit renewal
- Annual, due April 1
- Late penalty
- 10% per month, cap 100%
- Citation
- Municipal Code § 102-608
Summary
Des Moines bars privately owned dumpsters and trash containers from public street rights-of-way except in alleys, and any dumpster placed on public property needs an areaway permit from the city engineering department.
(f) No privately owned trash container shall be located on a public street right-of-way, other than alleys, except for those containers required to facilitate solid waste collection from residential premises by the city pursuant to sections 98-51 through 98-58, inclusive, of this Code. ... (g) All privately owned newsracks and trash containers on public property shall obtain a valid areaway permit, issued by the engineering department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code § 102-608(f) prohibits privately owned trash containers on a public street right-of-way, with one carve-out: alleys. So a business dumpster or roll-off can sit in the alley behind a building but not curbside on the street, unless it's a city-owned container used for residential collection under §§ 98-51, 98-58. Under § 102-608(g), every privately owned dumpster or newsrack placed on public property, including in an alley, must carry a valid areaway permit issued by the engineering department; § 102-602(b) makes that an annual permit renewing every April 1. A dumpster kept in the street ROW without one is an unlicensed encroachment.
Violations & Fines
An unlicensed dumpster in the street ROW is an unlicensed encroachment under § 102-613: the city can order immediate removal and restoration of the property, and a lapsed license accrues a 10 percent monthly penalty, capped at 100 percent of the original fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a dumpster in the alley behind my Des Moines business?
What happens if a dumpster sits on the street without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Des Moines
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