Santa Fe, NM Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Screening trigger
- Visible from street or residential property
- Plant screen deadline
- Must close view within 2 years
- Stormwater duty
- No pollutant runoff to public system
- BIP extra rule
- Solid acoustic buffer near residential lots
- BIP curfew signage
- No deliveries/collection 10 p.m.-6 a.m.
- First-offense civil fine
- $100, rising to $500 by third offense
Summary
Santa Fe requires every dumpster, trash enclosure and outdoor storage area to be screened so it isn't visible from the street or from neighboring residential property. Walls, fences or plantings must close the view within two years of installation, and the enclosure must be built so runoff from the trash area can't reach the public stormwater system.
(4)Storage, Trash and Equipment(a)All trash areas, dumpsters, outdoor storage, service areas, ground and wall-mounted mechanical and electrical equipment, excluding transformers, and pedestals shall be screened so that they are not substantially visible from any public street, way or place or any adjacent residential property.(b)Screening shall be by walls, fences or planting of trees or shrubs sufficient to meet the screening objective within two years of installation, or any combination of these so long as the screening objective is achieved...(c)All trash areas, dumpsters, grease collection areas, outdoor storage, service areas and other uses that may contribute to stormwater pollution shall be constructed so as not to allow pollutants to be collected in runoff and discharged to the public stormwater system.
Full Breakdown
4(J)(4) treats trash areas, dumpsters, outdoor storage, service areas, ground- and wall-mounted mechanical and electrical equipment (other than transformers) and utility pedestals as a single screening category. All of it must be screened so it is not substantially visible from any public street, way or place, or from any adjacent residential property. The city accepts walls, fences, or planted trees and shrubs as screening methods, alone or combined, but plant screening must close the view within two years of installation, and the property owner must account for topography and adjacent land uses when choosing the method.
A separate stormwater duty applies to the same areas: trash areas, dumpsters, grease-collection areas and outdoor storage must be built so pollutants generated there cannot be picked up by runoff and discharged into the public stormwater system. next to a residential district.
Violations & Fines
Unscreened or leaking trash enclosures are Chapter 14 violations enforced by the land use director's staff under Article 14-11: a notice of violation sets a correction deadline, and noncompliance escalates to civil fines of $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second and $500 for a third or later offense within 36 months, in addition to the Section 1-3.1 general penalty of up to $500 or 90 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to screen my business's dumpster from the street?
Are there extra dumpster rules in business/industrial park zoning?
Can stormwater runoff from a dumpster pad drain into the street system?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Fe
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