Barrow County, GA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Equipment approval
- County sanitarian must approve collection equipment
- Equipment standard
- Watertight body, no fluid leaks
- Dead animal burial fee
- $50 first hour, $50/hour after
- Hazardous waste handling
- Approved by county health department
- First-offense fine
- $500 minimum under § 78-34
Summary
Barrow County Code § 78-41 sets the operating standards for anyone collecting and hauling litter or refuse in unincorporated Barrow County. Collection vehicles must have a watertight body and be approved by the county sanitarian, and hazardous waste or dead animals must be removed through the county health department, with dead-animal burial billed at $50 for the first hour and $50 per hour after.
(a)Generally. ... Proper collection and disposal of accumulated litter and other refuse is required, and such collection and disposal may not be conducted in a manner contrary to the public health, order, morality, safety or welfare.(b)Equipment standards. All equipment used for the collection and transportation of litter and other refuse shall be so designed as to prevent its escape therefrom in accordance with section 78-40. This equipment shall be provided with a watertight body designed so as to prevent the escape of any fluid. ... Only equipment approved by the county sanitarian may be used in the collection and transportation of litter and other refuse. ... (f)Removal of hazardous waste and dead animals. Hazardous waste and dead animals shall be removed in a manner approved by the county health department and subject to any other federal, state or local ordinances, laws, rules, statutes or regulations as may apply. The fee for burying dead animals shall be a minimum charge of $50.00 for the first hour and $50.00 per hour thereafter.
Full Breakdown
Section 78-41, in the Debris and Waste Control Environmental Ordinance (chapter 78, article II), governs how litter and refuse actually get picked up and hauled, as opposed to how residents store it. Subsection (a) requires that collection and disposal happen in a way that does not itself threaten public health, order, morality, safety or welfare. Subsection (b) sets equipment standards: collection and transport equipment must be designed to prevent litter from escaping in transit consistent with the anti-spill rule in section 78-40, must have a watertight body so no fluid leaks out, and can only be used if the county sanitarian has approved it, an approval requirement that effectively licenses the hauling equipment itself, not just the operator.
Subsections (c) through (e), not quoted here, add that equipment must be washed and treated with insecticide as often as the health officer requires, spilled waste must be promptly cleaned up, and receptacles must be emptied and left covered at each stop. 00 for each additional hour. Code enforcement officers oversee compliance under section 78-35.
Violations & Fines
A collector or hauler who violates section 78-41's equipment or handling standards faces the article II penalty in section 78-34: a minimum $500 fine for a first offense and $1,000 for repeat offenses, plus up to 60 days in jail, with each day of noncompliant operation a separate offense. The county can also seek injunctive relief under section 78-35 to stop a hauler from continuing to use unapproved equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a trash hauler need county approval for its trucks in Barrow County?
Who handles removal of hazardous waste or a dead animal on my property?
What happens if a collection truck spills waste on the road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Barrow County
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