Butte County, CA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum debris box size
- 10 cubic yards
- License required
- county-issued, per hauler
- Franchise areas
- only franchised hauler may serve
- Penalty
- $500-$1,000 fine, up to 6 months jail
Summary
Renting a roll-off or debris box in unincorporated Butte County means using a licensed hauler: Section 31-20 makes it unlawful to collect or dispose of solid waste using "roll-off containers, dumpsters, debris boxes, or similar receptacles" without a county-issued license. A debris box is defined as a container of at least ten cubic yards dropped at the customer's site for loading.
"Debris box" or "drop box" or "roll-off" means a solid waste container with a capacity of at least ten (10) cubic yards transported by a vehicle and set off at a customer's location for loading. ... (a)It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or association to collect, transport, process, or dispose of solid waste, including refuse, recyclable material, green waste, and food waste, through the use of bags, cans, carts, bins, roll-off containers, dumpsters, debris boxes, or similar receptacles, or through the use of compactors, portable compactors, or similar devices, within the unincorporated area of the County of Butte unless that person, firm, corporation, or association holds a valid License for such activity granted by the County, or is exempted from this provision under section 31-21.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 31, Article III of the Butte County Code, rewritten by Ordinance No. 4019 in 2010, requires a county license for anyone providing solid waste services with the equipment residents associate with a construction cleanup. " Section 31-20(b) further limits the field once the county has established a franchise service area: only the franchised hauler for that area may be licensed to place bins and roll-offs there. Section 31-21 carves out narrow exemptions, including self-haul by the generator to a designated facility and construction contractors hauling their own debris in vehicles they own and operate, but a homeowner who simply orders a dumpster from an unlicensed, non-franchised company for a driveway cleanup falls outside those exemptions.
Violations & Fines
Placing or servicing a roll-off or debris box through an unlicensed, non-franchised operator is a misdemeanor under Section 31-21.3, punishable by a fine of $500 to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, with each incident of unlicensed collection, transportation, processing, or disposal counted as a separate offense; County Counsel can also pursue civil abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just rent a roll-off dumpster from any company for a cleanup?
What size container counts as a debris box under county code?
What is the penalty for using an unlicensed dumpster company?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Butte County
California rules heatmap·Compare Butte County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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