King County, WA Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- King County Code § 10.18.010(E)(2)
- Who sets the holiday list
- Each certificated hauler, not the county
- Notice required
- Advance notice of any collection-day change
- Missed-holiday-pickup response
- 1 business day after verified complaint
- Applies to
- Unincorporated King County only
Summary
Certificated haulers in unincorporated King County must set their own holiday schedule and tell the county and customers about it in advance: King County Code § 10.18.010(E)(2) requires each hauler to designate which holidays it observes and the makeup schedule it will use whenever a holiday lands on a regular collection day.
Additional minimum level of service provisions. The following provisions apply to the collection services described in subsections A., B. and C. of this section: ... 2. The certificated hauler shall designate and inform the county and program participants of the holidays that it will observe and the schedule that will be used when a holiday falls on a regular collection day.
Full Breakdown
010(E) lists additional minimum level of service provisions that apply on top of the base collection standards for recyclables, yard waste and organics in the unincorporated service area. 2 puts the holiday call in the hauler's hands, not the county's: the certificated hauler shall designate and inform the county and program participants of the holidays that it will observe and the schedule that will be used when a holiday falls on a regular collection day. There is no single countywide holiday list in Title 10; each certificated hauler sets and publicizes its own, so different haulers serving different parts of unincorporated King County can run different holiday calendars.
C. 4 separately requires haulers to provide advance notice to single-family customers of any changes in recyclable materials collection services, such as changes in collection days, which covers a holiday-driven shift the same way it covers any other schedule change. C. C. 060 log service complaints, including missed collections. Residents who need the current holiday calendar should check with their own certificated hauler directly, since the county code sets the notice duty rather than a fixed statewide or countywide holiday list.
Violations & Fines
Title 10 doesn't fine a hauler a set dollar amount for skipping the holiday-notice duty; instead, failing to designate and publicize a holiday schedule, or failing to give the advance notice required by K.C.C. 10.18.040.A.4, is a service-level shortfall the solid waste division can pursue through King County Code Title 23's citation, notice-and-order and civil-penalty process. A missed pickup traced to an unannounced holiday change still triggers the one-business-day recollection duty in K.C.C. 10.18.050.D once reported.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does King County publish one holiday trash schedule for everyone?
How will I know if a holiday changes my trash day?
What if my hauler skips my pickup around a holiday and never says why?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in King County
Compare King County to another location·View the Washington trash & recycling overview
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