Sierra County, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)

Solid-waste service in unincorporated Sierra County is a self-haul, transfer-station model rather than curbside collection. Under Sierra County Code section 8.04.025, the Board of Supervisors reserves the right to establish 'the method and manner and all other aspects by which solid waste handling services are provided within the unincorporated areas of the county, including but not limited to the hours, days and frequency of collection, means of collection and transportation, level of services, charges and fees.' The County operates transfer stations at Alleghany, Ramshorn, Sattley, and Sierra City, plus a landfill on Garbage Pit Road in Loyalton. Per section 8.04.065, the four transfer stations are open 18 hours per week (Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.), and the Loyalton landfill is open 24 hours per week (Friday through Monday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.); the Board may change hours by resolution. Anyone who hauls waste generated by others, or provides solid-waste handling services for others, must hold a County solid-waste license under section 8.04.035 (with registered exemptions for certain appliance, construction-debris, and green-waste hauls). Most households simply self-haul their own waste. The system is funded by an annual solid-waste parcel charge (Chapter 8.05) rather than per-pickup billing.