Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup
Key FactsOrdinance TextFull BreakdownViolationsFAQSourcesMore in Montgomery

Montgomery, AL Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Residential garbage
collected at least twice weekly
Rubbish/yard trimmings
collected once weekly
Business garbage
collected as needed, except Sundays
Holiday/weather clause
schedules 'subject to change'
Makeup day
not fixed in the code
General penalty
$1-$200 fine or up to 6 months

Summary

Montgomery's sanitation department runs residential garbage twice a week and yard rubbish once a week under City Code Sec. 25-33, but that same section lets the city shift any route whenever a legal holiday or bad weather hits. The ordinance names no specific holiday list or makeup day, so residents track the posted route changes themselves.

All collection schedules are subject to change due to legal holidays or weather conditions.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).

Full Breakdown

City Code Sec. 25-33 establishes Montgomery's solid waste collection service and sets its baseline frequency: garbage is collected at least twice each week in residential areas, and as necessary except Sundays in business areas, while rubbish, leaves, grass, straw and shrubbery trimmings go out once a week in residential neighborhoods. The same section closes with the operative holiday rule quoted above. Sec. 25-35(c) repeats an identical caveat for the special brush and bulk-item pickup program, confirming that every collection stream the department runs, garbage, rubbish, and bulk, is subject to the same holiday and weather flexibility.

' Because the ordinance grants the department discretion rather than fixing a substitute schedule in the text, residents whose pickup falls on or near a holiday need to watch for the department's posted route notice rather than assume an automatic one-day slide. The provision applies citywide within the corporate limits served by the municipal collection service; it does not extend into Montgomery County outside the city limits, where collection is arranged separately.

Violations & Fines

Sec. 25-33 is a scheduling authorization, not a prohibition, so a holiday shift itself carries no fine. The article's general penalty, Sec. 25-32, still applies to actual violations of Chapter 25, a fine of no less than $1.00 nor more than $200.00, or up to six months in jail or hard labor, or both, but that penalty attaches to acts like illegal dumping, not to a missed or moved holiday pickup.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Montgomery skip trash pickup on holidays?
Not automatically. City Code Sec. 25-33 lets the sanitation department shift any collection route, garbage, rubbish or bulk, whenever a legal holiday or severe weather occurs, but the ordinance doesn't name which holidays or promise a specific makeup day. Residents track the department's posted schedule changes rather than assuming a fixed one-day delay.
How often is my trash collected normally?
Residential garbage goes out at least twice a week, and rubbish, leaves, grass, straw and shrubbery trimmings are collected once a week, under Sec. 25-33. Business-area garbage is collected as often as necessary except on Sundays. These base frequencies are what the holiday and weather clause in the same section can shift.
Is the same holiday rule in the bulk pickup program?
Yes. Sec. 25-35(c), which governs the special brush and large-item pickup service, repeats the identical language that all collection schedules are subject to change due to legal holidays or weather conditions, so scheduled bulk pickups can move for the same reasons as regular garbage routes.
What happens if my pickup is delayed for a holiday?
Chapter 25 doesn't spell out a substitute date; it leaves rerouting to the sanitation department named in Sec. 25-33 as 'the department.' Because no automatic makeup day is written into the ordinance, residents need to check the department's current route notice rather than assume the very next business day applies.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Montgomery

Collection ScheduleSome RestrictionsBulk Item DisposalSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Overnight ParkingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Street Parking LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSome RestrictionsBin Placement RulesSome RestrictionsPickup Rules & SchedulesSome RestrictionsDumpster RulesSome RestrictionsIllegal DumpingHeavy RestrictionsYard Waste CollectionSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSignificant Restrictions

All Montgomery rules

Compare Montgomery to another location·View the Alabama trash & recycling overview

Get notified when Holiday Pickup Schedule in Montgomery, AL changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.