Lawrence, MA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Restricted hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Penalty per violation
- $50.00 flat fine
- Enforcement statute
- M.G.L. c.40 §21D noncriminal process
- Who can cite
- Inspectional services, police, fire personnel
- Adopted
- Ordinance dated November 16, 1999
Summary
Commercial haulers can't empty a dumpster on private property in Lawrence between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Violating the nighttime restriction carries a flat $50.00 penalty per incident, and inspectional services, police and fire personnel are all authorized to write the citation on the spot.
8.08.095 - Emptying of dumpsters—Restrictions. A.No emptying of dumpsters shall be made upon any private property between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.B.The penalty for each violation of this section shall be $50.00.C.This section may be enforced in the manner provided in MGL chapter 40, section 21D.D.All employees of the department of inspectional services, and all police and fire department personnel shall have the power to issue citations for violations of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8).
Full Breakdown
095 targets the noise and disruption of overnight dumpster service rather than dumpster placement itself. ,' covering commercial and residential dumpsters alike wherever they sit on private land. 00 for each violation, meaning a hauler that empties a dumpster during the restricted window is exposed to the fine regardless of the size of the container or the property involved. 40 section 21D, the same mechanism the city uses for other municipal ordinance citations, so a violation is handled as a civil ticket rather than a criminal complaint.
Subsection D widens who can actually write that ticket: every employee of the department of inspectional services, plus all police and fire department personnel, has the power to issue citations under this section, not just a single designated enforcement officer. In practice, that means a resident awakened by a dumpster truck at midnight can report it to any of three departments, and any of them is authorized to cite the hauler directly rather than having to route the complaint to inspectional services alone.
Violations & Fines
Each dumpster emptied on private property between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. is a separate $50.00 violation under section 8.08.095(B), enforced through the noncriminal citation process of M.G.L. c.40 section 21D. Inspectional services staff, police officers and firefighters can all issue the citation themselves, without waiting for a single designated inspector.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a dumpster be emptied at night in Lawrence?
What's the fine for emptying a dumpster too early or too late?
Who can write a ticket for an overnight dumpster pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
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