Salt Lake City, UT Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing provision
- SLC Code § 14.32.200(A)
- Permit issuer
- City Engineer
- Notice waiver
- Under 8 days, per § 14.32.036(D)(5)
- Cleanup exemption
- 10 days before city cleanup events
- Enforcement
- City may remove obstruction, bill permittee
Summary
Placing a dumpster, roll-off box, or other obstruction in the public way in Salt Lake City requires a City Engineer permit, with a narrow exemption for short-term placement tied to city cleanup campaigns.
Except for a period of ten (10) days prior to scheduled city sponsored cleanup campaigns, the terms and conditions of which shall be described in flyers or mailings produced and distributed by the city, it is unlawful for any person to place, cast, deposit, permit, erect, or suffer to remain in or upon any public way in the city any "obstruction" as defined in this chapter, without obtaining from the city engineer permission so to do, and then only in strict accordance with the terms and conditions of these ordinances and of the express permission granted.
B. Required For Occupation Of Street With Building Material: It is unlawful for any person to occupy or use any portion of a public way for the storage of construction or landscaping materials and/or equipment without first making application for and receiving a permit for the occupation or use. However, no fence construction pursuant to these ordinances and no building material shall remain in place on any public way after the ending date of the permit, unless said permit is extended by the city engineer.
C. Required For Scaffold Or Staging Over Public Way: It is unlawful for any person to erect, build, maintain, swing or use any scaffold, fence or any other temporary structure over or upon the public way without first obtaining a permit for that purpose and paying the fee for such permit.
D. Not Required When: A permit is not required for use of the public way,
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake City Code § 14.32.200(A) makes it unlawful to place, cast, deposit, erect, or leave any "obstruction", a term the code defines to include containers, construction materials, and equipment, in or upon any public way without permission from the city engineer. The only carve-out is a ten-day window ahead of scheduled city-sponsored cleanup campaigns. Separately, § 14.32.036(D)(5) waives the adjacent-property notice requirement (not the permit itself) when a dumpster or POD sits in the right-of-way fewer than eight days. Contractors placing roll-off dumpsters at the curb for a remodel or teardown need a Work in the ROW permit from the city engineer before the box goes down.
Violations & Fines
Placing an unpermitted dumpster, POD, or container obstruction in the public way is unlawful under § 14.32.200(A); the city engineer can order removal of the obstruction and rubbish at the responsible party's expense under § 14.32.205(A).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit for a driveway dumpster on my own property?
Can I skip the permit if the dumpster is only there a few days?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
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Dumpster Rules in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle dumpster rules.