Mount Vernon, NY Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Chapter 227 of the City of Mount Vernon Code, Streets and Sidewalks, requires a written permit from the Commissioner of Public Works before anyone opens or occupies City street, highway, sidewalk, or public ground surfaces under Section 227-15. Section 227-18, Fees, implements that permit requirement through a Permit Fee Schedule with a thirty-day term, organized into Type A, B, and C tiers by the scope of work. 'Roll off container/dumpster' is listed as a Type A item, the same tier as curb repair, driveway aprons, hydrant service work, and temporary sidewalk obstructions.

A Type A permit costs a $200 fee plus a $1,000 deposit, or in lieu of the cash deposit, a $100,000 annual surety bond can cover the applicant's Type A work for the year. The fee schedule took effect January 1, 2023, and renews automatically each calendar year unless the Commissioner of Public Works amends the fee and deposit schedule. Applicants who are not public service corporations otherwise pay a flat $350 street opening fee, but the itemized Type A rate governs specifically enumerated activities like dumpster placement.

Payment goes to the DPW Commissioner's Office or the City Clerk on the City's behalf, in cash or by check, and no permit will issue until the fee and deposit are on file. Because a roll-off container placed in the street or on a sidewalk occupies public ground, it falls within the Section 227-15 permit requirement covering any opening or use of a street, highway, sidewalk area, or public ground 'for any purpose whatsoever,' making the Section 227-18 fee and deposit a precondition to lawful placement.