Sarasota County, FL Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Holidays skipped
- Christmas, New Year's, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving
- Extra holidays
- Executive Director can approve others
- Notice duty
- Franchisee must notify affected customers
- Curbside deadline
- By 6:00 a.m. on collection day
- Early set-out limit
- Not before 5:00 p.m. prior evening
- Container pickup
- Returned to storage by 10:00 a.m. next day
- First-offense penalty
- Written warning, 7 days to comply
Summary
Sarasota County's franchised waste hauler is not required to run curbside collection on New Year's Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other holiday the Solid Waste Management Department's Executive Director designates. Sarasota County Code Sec. 106-47(a)(33) instead requires the franchisee to notify every customer whose normal pickup day lands on that holiday of the specific alternate collection date, so no household is left guessing.
The Franchisee is not required to furnish Collection Services on Christmas, New Year's Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and any other holiday as approved by the Executive Director. The Franchisee is required to notify all Customers whose normal Collection day falls upon such day that no Collection Service will be provided and the date of the alternate Collection day in accordance with the Solid Waste Management Department's directive.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 98).
Full Breakdown
Under Sarasota County Code Sec. 106-47(a)(33), the county's solid waste franchisee can skip curbside pickup entirely on Christmas, New Year's Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and any additional holiday the Executive Director approves, without losing its franchise standing. The same subsection obligates the franchisee to notify affected customers of the make-up day whenever a scheduled collection falls on one of those dates, following the Solid Waste Management Department's directive for that year's calendar. The shifted pickup still runs under the ordinary set-out rules in Sec.
the following morning. Containers left at the curb outside that window, or waste that piles up because a household missed the shifted date, can trigger the accumulation rule in Sec. 106-58(p): any buildup of solid waste or recyclable materials left unaddressed for more than seven calendar days is deemed a public nuisance injurious to health and a violation of the solid waste article on its own. Code Enforcement, not the franchisee, handles that end of enforcement, and officers may inspect containers, bags, and set-out areas under Sec. 106-60(b) to confirm compliance with the holiday-adjusted schedule.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 106-60 makes a violation of the solid waste article, including waste left uncollected past the adjusted holiday pickup, a civil infraction enforced by Code Enforcement. A first offense draws a written warning with seven calendar days to comply; a second draws a $200 fine, a third $300, and a fourth or subsequent offense $500. Citations can be contested in county court within 30 days, where penalties are capped at $500 plus court costs, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sarasota County collect trash on Christmas?
What happens if my regular pickup day falls on a skipped holiday?
Can the county add more holidays to the skipped schedule?
What if I leave my cart at the curb too long after a holiday shift?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sarasota County to another location·View the Florida trash & recycling overview
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