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Santa Clarita, CA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Right-of-way placement
Requires a City encroachment permit
Temporary bin duration cap
30 consecutive days, or 60 in 90
Roll-off definition threshold
10+ cubic yards, flat-bed transported
Visible yard placement
Front/side yard only during collection hours
Service-level authority
City sets final container size/frequency
Noncompliance response
Written notice, 72 hours to arrange service

Summary

Santa Clarita Municipal Code Section 15.44.220(A)(12) bars placing any commercial bin, temporary bin or roll-off box in a public right-of-way without a City encroachment permit, and limits how long one can sit visibly on private property. The code's definition of "temporary bin" caps that visible placement at 30 consecutive days, or 60 days within any 90-day period.

Not place any container in any front yard or side yard that is visible from a public street except during collection hours. No container may be placed in any public right-of-way unless an encroachment permit authorizing the placement has been issued by the City. A bin, construction and demolition material bin, temporary bin, or roll-off box may be placed on private property, visible to the public for temporary periods not to exceed those set forth in the definition of temporary bin. ["Temporary bin" ...] no bins belonging to a particular solid waste enterprise remain on that premises for more than thirty (30) consecutive days, or for more than sixty (60) days of any consecutive ninety (90) day period in any calendar year.

Full Breakdown

44 (Integrated Waste Management) sets the placement rules that apply to every commercial bin, construction and demolition bin, and roll-off container in the City. 220(A)(12) directs generators not to place any container in a front yard or side yard visible from a public street except during collection hours, and states that no container may be placed in any public right-of-way unless an encroachment permit authorizing the placement has been issued by the City. 010 as a solid waste receptacle typically ten cubic yards or larger, of the type transported on a flat-bed truck and detachable for parking at a commercial premises or construction site, including compacting roll-off boxes that attach to a leased compaction device.

230 gives the City the final say over where containers are located for collection and storage and over the proper service level, including container number, size and collection frequency, when the City chooses to direct it. Commercial businesses must also keep containers accessible to the franchised solid waste enterprise and cannot leave a bin blocking a public right-of-way outside the permit process, since an encroachment permit from the City is the only path to lawful right-of-way placement.

Violations & Fines

Placing a commercial bin, construction bin or roll-off box in the public right-of-way without an encroachment permit, or leaving one visible in a front or side yard beyond the 30-consecutive-day or 60-day-in-90-day temporary bin limits set in Section 15.44.010, is noncompliant with Section 15.44.220. The chapter's collection-arrangement provisions, Section 15.44.215, also warn that a property found without required collection service can be sent a written violation notice, and if service is not arranged within seventy-two hours of that notice, or an exemption obtained under Section 15.44.217, the responsible party is in violation of the chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a contractor leave a roll-off dumpster on the street in Santa Clarita?
Not without a permit. Section 15.44.220(A)(12) bars placing any commercial bin, temporary bin or roll-off box in a public right-of-way unless the City has issued an encroachment permit authorizing that specific placement. Without the permit, the box has to stay on private property, and even there it is subject to the visibility and duration limits the code sets for temporary bins.
How long can a temporary dumpster or roll-off sit on private property?
Up to 30 consecutive days, or up to 60 days within any rolling 90-day period in a calendar year, per the "temporary bin" definition in Section 15.44.010. Once a bin from a given solid waste enterprise exceeds either limit at the same premises, it no longer qualifies as temporary bin service under the code.
Does the City control how many dumpsters a business must have?
Yes. Section 15.44.230 gives the City final authority over container placement and service level, including the number and size of containers and how often they are collected, when customers and their solid waste enterprise have not already worked that out. The City can also require additional or larger containers under Section 15.44.220(A)(1) if capacity is inadequate.

Sources & Official References

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