Prince William County, VA Trash & Recycling: Holiday Pickup Schedule (2026)
Key Facts
- Holiday collection window
- First two weeks of January
- Applies to
- Single-family, condos, apartments
- Tree prep required
- Decorations and stands removed
- Regular yard waste season
- March through December
- Governing section
- PWC Code § 22-43(a)
Summary
Prince William County's regular yard waste pickup pauses for winter, but Christmas trees get their own holiday window: refuse haulers must collect trees, decorations and stands removed, from every residential area, including condos and apartments, during the first two weeks of January under County Code § 22-43(a), separate from the March-through-December yard waste route.
Christmas trees shall be collected from all residential areas (including condominiums and apartments) during the first two weeks of January. ... In addition, within two hundred seventy (270) days of the effective date of this ordinance, the occupants of residential dwelling units located in the County shall also be required to separate for collection and composting yard waste, from March through December and for Christmas trees during the first two weeks of January. ... A violation of any provision of this article shall constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor. Violation of Articles III and VII will subject permit holder to suspension or revocation of permit, in accordance with regulations adopted by the department of public works.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 46 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
The county's weekly yard waste and brush collection required by § 22-43(a) runs 'from March through the end of December,' leaving a gap over the winter holidays. The code fills that gap with a dedicated rule: 'Christmas trees shall be collected from all residential areas (including condominiums and apartments) during the first two weeks of January,' regardless of whether those properties get regular yard waste pickup the rest of the year. ' Section 22-170(a) backs up the same schedule on the recycling side: residents must separate yard waste for collection and composting 'from March through December and for Christmas trees during the first two weeks of January,' and apartment and condominium owners have to run a matching separation system for their tenants under § 22-170(b) and (c).
Because this collection sits in Article III alongside the rest of the county's hauler-frequency rules, it's the refuse remover's obligation to run the January tree route, not an optional service a household has to request.
Violations & Fines
A refuse remover that skips the first-two-weeks-of-January Christmas tree collection, or otherwise fails to meet the frequency and recycling-separation requirements tied to it, faces the same Article III penalty as any other missed route: a Class 3 misdemeanor and possible suspension or revocation of its county hauling permit under § 22-36.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Prince William County collect Christmas trees?
Do I need to remove ornaments before putting my tree out?
Do apartment and condo residents get the same holiday tree pickup?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Prince William County
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