La Mesa, CA Trash & Recycling: Pickup Rules & Schedules (2026)
Key Facts
- Authorized hauler
- City's exclusive contractor only
- Self-haul exception
- Commercial business meeting Sec. 7.30.090 rules
- Applies to
- Single-family, multi-family, and commercial properties
- Container scavenging
- Unlawful once set out (Sec. 7.20.056)
- Penalty
- Infraction, up to $250 (Sec. 1.01.080)
Summary
In the City of La Mesa, only the city's exclusive refuse contractor may collect, haul, or transport garbage and refuse under Municipal Code Sections 7.20.020 and 7.20.050. It is unlawful for anyone else to pick up trash within city limits, though a commercial business can self-haul its own waste if it meets the Section 7.30.090 self-hauler requirements.
It is unlawful for any person, to collect, convey, transport or cause to be collected, conveyed, or transported any refuse, garbage, or other waste material in violation of the provisions of this chapter; except, if a commercial business elects to self-haul, it must meet the self-hauler requirements in Section 7.30.090 of the La Mesa Municipal Code. ... It is unlawful for any person other than the person to whom such contract is awarded to engage in the business of collecting, conveying, or transporting, or to collect, convey, transport, or cause to be collected, conveyed or transported any refuse, garbage or other waste materials; except, if a commercial business wants to self-haul, it must meet the self-hauler requirements in Section 7.30.090 of the La Mesa Municipal Code.
Full Breakdown
La Mesa runs residential and commercial trash pickup through a single exclusive contractor awarded by the city council under Section 7.20.030, and Section 7.20.020 makes it unlawful for any person to collect, convey, transport, or cause to be collected, conveyed or transported refuse, garbage or other waste material in violation of that arrangement. Section 7.20.050 separately bars anyone other than the awarded contractor from engaging in the business of collecting or hauling refuse. Both sections carve out one exception: a commercial business that elects to self-haul its own waste must instead meet the self-hauler standards in Section 7.30.090 of the organics-recycling chapter.
Section 7.20.056 adds that scavenging, moving, tipping or damaging a garbage or refuse container, or its contents, is separately unlawful once the container is set out, and Section 7.20.055 makes recyclable materials placed at curbside the property of the city or its agent once set out, so removing them before pickup is also prohibited. The rules apply to single-family dwellings, multi-family dwellings of five or more units, and commercial businesses alike, and violations of Chapter 7.20 are enforced under the general penalty clause of Section 1.01.080, referenced directly in the chapter's own Section 7.20.195.
Violations & Fines
Collecting or hauling refuse in La Mesa without being the city's awarded contractor, or without qualifying as a self-hauler under Section 7.30.090, violates Sections 7.20.020 and 7.20.050. Section 7.20.195 makes any Chapter 7.20 violation an infraction under the general penalty clause of Section 1.01.080, punishable by up to a $250 fine, while scavenging a set-out container under Section 7.20.056 or 7.20.055 is separately unlawful.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a La Mesa resident hire their own trash hauler?
Is it illegal to take something out of a neighbor's trash can in La Mesa?
What is the penalty for violating La Mesa's refuse collection rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in La Mesa
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