Merced County, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential collection hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Other commercial-area hours
- 6:00 p.m. to 12:00 noon next day
- Container tampering
- Prohibited except owner or collector (§9.08.090)
- Hazardous materials
- Barred from containers without prior approval
- Tag correction window
- 3 days to fix a cited violation
- First violation penalty
- $1,000 administrative fine
Summary
Merced County restricts when refuse trucks can operate in the unincorporated area: collection in residential districts and nearby schools, churches, and hospitals is confined to six a.m. to six p.m. under County Code Section 9.08.080. Tampering with a collection container or obstructing a hauler is also a separate offense under Section 9.08.090.
A. No collections shall be made in residential districts, as shown on the zoning map of the county, or at schools, churches, hospitals, offices or commercial establishments in or adjacent to said residential districts, except between the hours of six a.m. and six p.m. B. No collections shall be made from premises in commercial areas other than described in subsection A of this section except between the hours of six p.m. and twelve noon of the following day. The department shall determine the commercial areas subject to this provision.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4930839; v8 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
080 splits collection hours by zoning district. m. and twelve noon the following day, so trucks servicing warehouses and industrial customers work overnight rather than during the day. 090 protects the collection process itself: no one other than the property owner, a county employee, or an employee of the authorized refuse collector may tamper with a refuse container or its contents, and no one may hinder, obstruct, or interfere with a collector removing or transporting refuse. 070 bars dead animals, explosives, and highly flammable, radioactive, toxic, or infectious materials from any refuse container without prior arrangement with the director or health officer. 100, and the county can tag a container found in violation, giving the owner three days to correct the condition.
Violations & Fines
A pickup-rules violation falls under the same Chapter 9.08 enforcement scheme: a misdemeanor under Section 9.08.190, plus the administrative penalty schedule in Section 9.08.200 of $1,000 for a first violation, $1,500 for a second violation of the same section within a year, and $3,000 for each further violation within that year, since violations are treated as an immediate danger to health and safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced County
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced County to another location·View the California trash & recycling overview
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