Mobile, AL Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Garbage pickup
- Weekly; holidays can shift the day (Sec. 25-5(a))
- Trash pickup
- Every other week; holidays can shift it (Sec. 25-6(a))
- Notice required
- Permanent changes need 2 weeks' public notice (Sec. 25-3(b))
- Emergency changes
- Storm/disaster changes posted at cityofmobile.org (Sec. 25-3(c))
- Info line
- Mobile 311, 251-208-5311, for current collection day
- First violation fine
- $250 plus court costs (Sec. 25-33(b))
- Repeat violation penalty
- Up to $350 fine or 3 months jail (Sec. 25-33(e))
Summary
Mobile's household garbage collects weekly and household trash collects every other week, but both schedules can shift around holidays. The Department of Public Services sets pickup days under Sec. 25-3 and must publish any permanent change at least two weeks ahead; storm or disaster changes go up on cityofmobile.org and through Mobile 311 as they happen.
(b)The pickup schedule for household garbage and household trash will be fixed under guidelines and procedures implemented by the department of public services. Any changes will be made public a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to the change being implemented.(c)Changes in pickup schedules due to emergency or natural disaster will be published on the city website at www.CityofMobile.org. ... Sec. 25-5(a)Frequency. Pickup of household garbage is once per week based on the household address. Holiday schedules may vary. ... Sec. 25-6(a)Frequency. Pick-up is scheduled for every other week. Holidays may cause this schedule to be reduced or changed. See www.cityofmobile.org for the holiday schedule.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 67).
Full Breakdown
Two separate clocks govern curbside collection in Mobile. Household garbage, regulated at Sec. 25-5, is picked up once a week on a route tied to each address; household trash (bulky items, yard debris, larger discards) runs on Sec. 25-6's every-other-week route. Both sections state plainly that holidays can move the pickup day, and neither locks in a substitute date in the ordinance itself: the department of public services sets the actual routes and any changes under Sec. 25-3. A permanent shift in the pickup schedule for either garbage or trash requires at least two weeks' public notice before it takes effect.
org as conditions develop, standard practice for a Gulf Coast port city that plans around named storms every season. Residents can also call Mobile 311 at 251-208-5311 to confirm their specific collection day rather than guess from a printed calendar. The shifted date still carries the same curb rules that apply every week: garbage containers under Sec. the following morning, so a holiday delay pushes both ends of that window back with it. The garbage cart provisions were last amended by Ord. No. 25-018-2025 on May 6, 2025; the trash provisions and the scheduling authority in Sec. 25-3 both trace to Ord. No. 25-022-2024, adopted March 19, 2024.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 25's enforcement article applies to a schedule mishap the same as any other violation: leaving a garbage cart at the curb outside the window in Sec. 25-5(g), even because a holiday moved the pickup day, is punishable under Sec. 25-33. A first offense carries a $250 fine plus court costs, payable to the magistrate; a repeat violation requires a court appearance, where a judge can impose up to $350 or three months in jail, and each day of noncompliance counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my garbage and trash day change for a holiday in Mobile?
How does Mobile handle pickup schedules around a hurricane?
Can I leave my cart out longer if the holiday moves my pickup day?
Who do I call to find out my new pickup day?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mobile
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