Lexington, KY Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $25.00 (division of waste management)
- Retroactive permit fee
- $100.00
- Screening
- 3 sides, 80% opacity, 8 ft tall
- Setback
- Min. 10 ft from residential property line
- No-permit notice
- 48-hour removal notice
- Repeat notice
- 2nd notice in 6 months risks citation
Summary
Lexington-Fayette requires a $25 permit from the division of waste management before any dumpster or its screening enclosure is placed, under Code § 16-4.1. Dumpsters need three-sided screening at 80% opacity, must sit at least 10 feet from any residential property line, and can't be visible from the public right-of-way.
No dumpster or screening as required above, regardless of whether collection service will be provided by the urban county government or by private hauler, shall be permanently placed or constructed upon any site without first obtaining a permit from the director of the division of waste management... A fee in the amount of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) shall be paid to the Division of Waste Management prior to issuance of any dumpster and screening permit... The dumpster area must be screened on three (3) sides using material consisting of stone, brick, concrete block, wood or a continuous planting of evergreens. Screens of stone, brick, concrete block or wood shall have eighty (80) percent opacity (80% solid)... No dumpster shall be located closer than ten (10) feet to any abutting residential property line. No dumpster shall be located in such a manner that the unscreened side shall be visible from any public right-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Republication | Zoning Ordinance: Republication).
Full Breakdown
1 governs where and how a dumpster can sit. 00 fee; deviation from the approved plat can get the permit denied or revoked. Screening is mandatory except in B-4, I-1 or I-2 zones (and even those require it within 100 feet of any other zone): three sides must be stone, brick, concrete block, wood at 80 percent opacity, or evergreens planted two per side, 6½ feet tall and 1¾ inches in diameter at installation, replaced promptly if they die. Screening must stand 8 feet tall from the concrete pad, with a removal opening at least 12 feet wide (plus 10 feet for each additional dumpster).
No dumpster may sit closer than 10 feet to an abutting residential property line, and the unscreened side can't be visible from any public right-of-way. 00. Existing unscreened dumpsters in exempt zones can be ordered screened within 120 days of formal notice.
Violations & Fines
Placing or constructing a dumpster or its screening without the § 16-4.1 permit draws a 48-hour removal notice; if two or more such notices go to the same person within six months, a civil citation can issue even after a permit is later obtained. Retroactively permitting an already-placed dumpster costs $100.00 instead of the standard $25.00 fee, and ongoing violations are billed under article XII with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to place a dumpster on my property?
How close to a house can a commercial dumpster sit?
What screening does a dumpster enclosure need?
What happens if I place a dumpster without a permit first?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lexington
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