Port Townsend, WA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Dumpster size
- 1–2 cubic yards, metal container
- Drop box/roll-off size
- 10–50 cubic yards, metal container
- Placement rule
- Must stay on customer's own property
- Enforcement
- Public works director, per PTMC 1.20
- Penalty type
- Civil and criminal nuisance penalties
Summary
Port Townsend requires commercial dumpsters and drop boxes (roll-offs) to sit on the customer's own property, never in the public right-of-way or a public parking area, under the city's solid waste code.
“Dumpster” means an all‑metal container, with lidded or nonlidded cover, typically with capacity of one, one and one‑half or two yards, capable of being picked up by a mechanical device and dumped into solid waste collection vehicles. … Any solid waste containers used to hold solid waste prior to compaction shall be stored and maintained on the customer’s property and shall not be stored or maintained in the public right-of-way or in public parking areas.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
PTMC 6.04.010 defines a "dumpster" as an all-metal, 1- to 2-yard mechanically-emptied container and a "drop box" (roll-off) as an all-metal container of 10 to 50 cubic yards. PTMC 6.04.040(B)(4)(b) requires that solid waste containers held for a business be stored and maintained on the customer's own property, not in the public right-of-way or in public parking areas. The public works director enforces the chapter, and violations are declared nuisances under PTMC 1.20.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a dumpster or roll-off in the street, alley right-of-way, or a public parking area violates PTMC 6.04.040(B)(4)(b); it's a nuisance under PTMC 1.20, enforced by the public works director with civil and criminal penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a business keep its dumpster in the alley or on the street?
What does Port Townsend call a roll-off container?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
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