Mercer County, NJ Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit (ROWOP)
- Issuing office
- Mercer County Highway Division
- Insurance minimum
- $100,000-$300,000 bodily injury; $25,000 property
- Permit validity
- One year from date of issuance
- Maximum penalty
- 90 days jail and/or $500 fine
- Enforcement agency
- Mercer County Sheriff
Summary
Placing a dumpster or roll-off container in a Mercer County road right-of-way requires a Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit (ROWOP) under County Code § 5.03.020. The County Engineer must approve the placement in advance, and general storage of materials in the right-of-way is otherwise banned under § 5.03.040. Violators face County Sheriff enforcement and fines up to $500 or 90 days in jail.
RIGHT-OF-WAY OCCUPANCY PERMIT (ROWOP): Placement of signs within County right-of-way; storage of equipment; dumpster storage; placement of utility poles adjacent to the roadway; placement of utilities under the roadway by boring or jacking and also event closures. Application fee waived if modifications are shown specifically on an approved site plan. ... Unless specifically and directly related to the construction, maintenance and operation of a County roadway, storage or stockpiling of construction materials, including but not limited to soil, pavement millings, sewer pipe, or right-of-way under jurisdiction of the County of Mercer shall not be permitted. ... No materials may be stored or placed on any County road, street or right-of-way.
Full Breakdown
Mercer County's Right-of-Way Occupancy Permit (ROWOP) is the mechanism that governs placing a dumpster or roll-off container anywhere within a County road right-of-way. 020 defines a ROWOP as covering the 'placement of signs within County right-of-way; storage of equipment; dumpster storage; placement of utility poles adjacent to the roadway; placement of utilities under the roadway by boring or jacking and also event closures,' and the application fee is waived only where the placement is shown specifically on an approved site plan. shall not be permitted,' and more bluntly, 'No materials may be stored or placed on any County road, street or right-of-way' without that permit.
Any equipment or material a contractor does place in the roadway itself cannot reduce the travel way below 22 feet, subject to County Engineer approval. Applicants must carry public liability coverage of at least $100,000 to $300,000 for bodily injury or death and $25,000 for property damage, naming Mercer County as indemnified party. A ROWOP is valid for one year from issuance and expires if work has not started; fees, once paid, are never refunded. Applications go through the Mercer County Highway Division and require County Engineer sign-off before a dumpster can be dropped in the right-of-way.
Violations & Fines
Violating the ROWOP storage rules is enforced by the County Sheriff under § 5.03.070. Under § 5.03.060(B)(2), a person, firm, corporation or municipality found in violation faces County jail time not exceeding 90 days, a fine not exceeding $500, or both. Violators also remain fully responsible for the County's cost of repairing any damage or removing the unauthorized dumpster or obstruction, on top of the criminal penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put a dumpster in a Mercer County road right-of-way?
How much insurance do I need for a dumpster ROWOP?
What happens if I skip the permit and store a dumpster in the right-of-way anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mercer County
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